There were 222 blue, green and gold notebooks in a box. 14 gold notebooks were removed from the box and the ratio of the number of blue notebooks to the number of green notebooks to the number of gold notebooks became 5 : 2 : 9. Then some grey notebooks were added and the ratio of the number of gold notebooks to the number of grey notebooks was 9 : 3.

1. What was the ratio of the number of blue notebooks to the number of green notebooks to the number of gold notebooks at first?
2. How many notebooks were in the box in the end?

	Blue	Green	Gold	Grey	Total
Before	5 u	2 u	9 u + 14	0	222
Change 1	No change	No change	- 14		- 14
After 1	5 u	2 u	9 u		208
Change 2	No change	No change	No change	+ 3 u
After 2	5 u	2 u	9 u	3 u

(a)
Total number of notebooks at first
= 5 u + 2 u + 9 u + 14
= 16 u + 14

16 u + 14 = 222
16 u = 222 - 14
16 u = 208

1 u = 208 ÷ 16 = 13

Number of blue notebooks at first
= 5 u
= 5 x 13
= 65

Number of green notebooks at first
= 2 u
= 2 x 13
= 26

Number of gold notebooks at first
= 9 u + 14
= 9 x 13 + 14
= 131 

At first
Blue notebooks : Green notebooks : Gold notebooks
65 : 26 : 131

(b)
Total number of notebooks in the box in the end
= 5 u + 2 u + 9 u + 3 u
= 19 u
= 247

Answer(s): (a) 65 : 26 : 131; (b) 247