There were 203 white, gold and brown notebooks in a box. 23 brown notebooks were removed from the box and the ratio of the number of white notebooks to the number of gold notebooks to the number of brown notebooks became 4 : 3 : 5. Then some grey notebooks were added and the ratio of the number of brown notebooks to the number of grey notebooks was 5 : 7.

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

	White	Gold	Brown	Grey	Total
Before	4 u	3 u	5 u + 23	0	203
Change 1	No change	No change	- 23		- 23
After 1	4 u	3 u	5 u		180
Change 2	No change	No change	No change	+ 7 u
After 2	4 u	3 u	5 u	7 u

(a)
Total number of notebooks at first
= 4 u + 3 u + 5 u + 23
= 12 u + 23

12 u + 23 = 203
12 u = 203 - 23
12 u = 180

1 u = 180 ÷ 12 = 15

Number of white notebooks at first
= 4 u
= 4 x 15
= 60

Number of gold notebooks at first
= 3 u
= 3 x 15
= 45

Number of brown notebooks at first
= 5 u + 23
= 5 x 15 + 23
= 98 

At first
White notebooks : Gold notebooks : Brown notebooks
60 : 45 : 98

(b)
Total number of notebooks in the box in the end
= 4 u + 3 u + 5 u + 7 u
= 19 u
= 285

Answer(s): (a) 60 : 45 : 98; (b) 285