Question 1210613
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After working a short way through the problem, I chose to set the problem up like this, to make the work easier by avoiding having to work with fractions or decimals.<br>
Marek spent 25% fewer coins than Zaven -- i.e., he spent three-fourths as many as Zaven.  So<br>
Let 4x = # Zaven spent
Then 3x = # Marek spent<br>
The number Zaven left with was half the number he spent.  So<br>
2x = # Zaven was left with; and then
4x+2x = 6x = # Zaven started with<br>
The total number of coins the two of them had is 900, so<br>
900-6x = # Marek started with<br>
Then<br>
(90-6x)-3x = 900-9x = # Marek finished with<br>
In the end, Marek had 3/4 of the total number of coins.  Here we have two (at least) ways to continue; we could either say that the number Marek finished with is 3/4 of the total 900, or we could say Marek finished with 3 times as many as Zaven.  For an unknown reason, I chose the second option when I first worked the problem all the way through.<br>
900-9x = 3(2x)
900-9x = 6x
900 = 15x
x = 900/15 = 60<br>
The problem asks for the number Marek finished with.<br>
ANSWER: 900-9x = 900-540 = 360<br>