<PRE><B>Question 1204185</B>
&lt;br&gt;
As always, there are many ways to set the problem up for solving.  And I always try to find a way to set it up using a single variable.&lt;br&gt;
I will start from this statement:&lt;br&gt;
&quot;The number of sweets given on Thursday was 3/5 the number of sweets left.&quot;&lt;br&gt;
Let 3x = number of sweets given away on Thursday
Let 5x = number of sweets left after Thursday&lt;br&gt;
Then the total number of sweets he started with is 8x.&lt;br&gt;
On Friday he gave away 130 sweets, so the total number given away over the two days is 3x+130.&lt;br&gt;
That number is 4 more than 9/16 of the number he started with:&lt;br&gt;
{{{3x+130=(9/16)(8x)+4}}}
{{{3x+130=(9/2)x+4}}}
{{{126=(3/2)x}}}
{{{x=84}}}&lt;br&gt;
The number of sweets he started with was 8x = 672.
The number he gave away was 3x+130 = 382.
So the number he finished with was 672-382 = 290.&lt;br&gt;
ANSWERS:
a) 672
b) 290&lt;br&gt;
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