Peter had
35 as many pens as Tammy. After Peter bought another 12 pens, he had 16 less pens than Tammy. How many pens did Peter have at first?
|
Peter |
Tammy |
Before |
3 u |
5 u |
Change |
+ 12 |
|
After |
3 u + 12 |
5 u |
Tammy had 16 more pens than Peter in the end. So, if Peter had another 16 pens, he would have the same number of pens as Tammy.
5 u = 3 u + 12 + 16
5 u - 3 u = 12 + 16
2 u = 28
1 u = 28 ÷ 2 = 14
Number of pens that Peter had at first
= 3 u
= 3 x 14
= 42
Answer: 42