SOLUTION: 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?

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: 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?      Log On


   

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?
Answer by Stitch(470) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
%283%2F4%29%2A%28X%2F2%29+=+12
Multiply both sides by 4/3
X%2F2+=+48%2F3
Simplify
X%2F2+=+16
Multiply both sides by 2
highlight%28X+=+32%29
You started with 32 apples
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The reason the X/2 was multiplied by 3/4 was because the second person took 1/4 of the remaining apples.
1 - 1/4 = 3/4
That means that the last person took 3/4 of the remaining apples.