Question 498718:  Leslie set up a fruit stand to sell some of her crop of oranges. The first person who came by brought 1/3 of her oranges. The second person brought 4. The third person brought 1/4 of the remaining oranges. Leslie took the last 15 oranges home and made orange juice. How many oranges did leslie have at the beginning? 
 Answer by ptaylor(2198)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! Let x=number of oranges that Leslie had at the beginning 
After the first person came and bought a third, she had x-(1/3)x=(2/3)x left 
After the second person bought 4, she had (2/3)x-4 left 
After the third person bought a fourth of the remaining, she had ((2/3)x-4))-1/4((2/3)x-4) left and we are told this equals 15, sooooo 
((2/3)x-4)-1/4((2/3)x-4)=15  lets first multiply each term by 4 
4(2/3)x-4)-(2/3)x+4=60 
(8/3)x-16-(2/3)x+4=60 
(6/3)x-12=60 
2x=72 
x=36----amount she had at the beginning
 
Ck 
36-(1/3)*36=24 
24-4=20 
20-(1/4)*20=15 
15=15
 
Hope this helps---ptaylor 
  | 
 
  
 
 |   
 
 |