SOLUTION: Bod wants to put his footballs into boxes. If he uses big boxes, he can put 7 footballs in each box with 4 footballs left over. If he uses small boxes, he can put 5 footballs in

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Question 1205528: Bod wants to put his footballs into boxes.
If he uses big boxes, he can put 7 footballs in each box with 4 footballs left over.
If he uses small boxes, he can put 5 footballs in each box with 4 footballs left over.
What is the smallest number of footballs that Bob could own?

Found 2 solutions by Edwin McCravy, greenestamps:
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20054) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Bod wants to put his footballs into boxes.
If he uses big boxes, he can put 7 footballs in each box with 4 footballs
left over.
If he uses small boxes, he can put 5 footballs in each box with 4 footballs
left over.
What is the smallest number of footballs that Bob could own?

If he uses B big boxes, then he has 7B + 4 footballs.

If he uses S small boxes, then he has 5S + 4 footballs.
S small boxes.

Then he has 7B + 4 and also 5S + 4 footballs 

7B+%2B+4+=+5S+%2B4

7B=5S

B%2FS=5%2F7

The smallest number of footballs is when B and S are the smallest
they can be and be whole numbers.

That's when B=5 and S=7

So he has 7B+4 = 7(5)+4 = 35+4 = 39 footballs.
Checking:
It's also when he has 5S+4 = 5(7)+4 = 35+4 = 39 footballs.

Edwin


Answer by greenestamps(13198) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


The number of footballs is 4 more than a multiple of 7 and also 4 more than a multiple of 5. Since 5 and 7 are relatively prime, the number of footballs is 4 more than a multiple of 7*5=35.

The smallest number that is 4 more than a multiple of 35 is 35(1)+4 = 35+4=39.

That of course does not consider the absurd case where the number of footballs is 35(0)+4 = 4.

ANSWER: 39