document.write( "Question 1043733: How would I go about solving problems like this?
\n" ); document.write( "Carol shared graph paper with 3 friends. She game 1/4 to Willy, 1/3 to Sara and then 1/6 to to Marcy. Carol has 30 sheets remaining. How many did she start with?
\n" ); document.write( "The answer in the back of the book say 72 is the answer but I get 59 every time. \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #658883 by Boreal(15235) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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x is what she has.
\n" ); document.write( "(1/4)x is to Willy
\n" ); document.write( "(1/3)x to Sara
\n" ); document.write( "(1/6)x to Marcy
\n" ); document.write( "What is important in this question is that the wording is not quite accurate.
\n" ); document.write( "She gave (1/4) to Willy, then with what was left, she gave (1/3) to Sara, and with what was left (1/6) to Marcy. She has 30 sheets left. If this wording isn't used, the answer is 120.
\n" ); document.write( "She had (3/4) left after Willy, and (3/4)(1/3)=(1/4), so now she has (3/4)-(1/4) or 1/2 after Sara.
\n" ); document.write( "She gave Marcy (1/6) of (1/2) or (1/12) of her paper.
\n" ); document.write( "She started with (1/2), so after Marcy she had (1/2)-(1/12)=(5/12)x
\n" ); document.write( "That is equal to 30.
\n" ); document.write( "(5/12)x=30
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply both sides by the reciprocal (12/5)
\n" ); document.write( "30*(12/5)=72. \n" ); document.write( "

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