document.write( "Question 698346: your customer bought half of the apples. Your second bought 1/4 of the remaining apples. Your third bought 12 apples left. How man did you have to begin with? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #430623 by Stitch(470) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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$\"%283%2F4%29%2A%28X%2F2%29+=+12\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply both sides by 4/3
\n" ); document.write( " $\"X%2F2+=+48%2F3\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Simplify
\n" ); document.write( " $\"X%2F2+=+16\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply both sides by 2
\n" ); document.write( " $\"highlight%28X+=+32%29\"$
\n" ); document.write( "You started with 32 apples
\n" ); document.write( "-------------------
\n" ); document.write( "The reason the X/2 was multiplied by 3/4 was because the second person took 1/4 of the remaining apples.
\n" ); document.write( "1 - 1/4 = 3/4
\n" ); document.write( "That means that the last person took 3/4 of the remaining apples. \n" ); document.write( "

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