document.write( "Question 1183260: Hi
\n" ); document.write( "A breeder sold half of his horses,then sold another 2. He then sold of his remaining horses then another 2. He then had 1 horse left. How many did he have at first.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #813496 by ikleyn(52848) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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\n" ); document.write( "A breeder sold half of his horses, then sold another 2.
\n" ); document.write( "He then sold of his remaining horses then another 2.
\n" ); document.write( "He then had 1 horse left. How many did he have at first.
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " This entertainment problem can be solved mentally, without using equations.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " The method of solving such problems mentally is to go back from the end to the beginning.\r
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document.write( "In order to better represent the selling process, I will reformulate the problem.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    Step 1.   Sold the half of the horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    Step 2.   Sold another 2 horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    Step 3.   Sold the half of remaining horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    Step 4.   Sold another 2 horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    Step 5.   Had 1 horse left.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Now I will move from the end to the beginning.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    (a) Before step 4, he had 1+2 = 3 horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    (b) This 3 horses are half of what he had before step 3.\r\n" );
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document.write( "        Hence, before step 3, he had 2*3 = 6 horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    (c) Before step 2, he had 6+2 = 8 horses\r\n" );
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document.write( "    (d) These 8 horses are the half of what he had before step 1.\r\n" );
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document.write( "        Hence, initially, the breeder had 2*8 = 16 horses.\r\n" );
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document.write( "ANSWER.  Initially, the breeder had 16 horses.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This problem and this method of solution is good to teach very young children (from kindergarten to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade).\r
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