A packet contained white, silver and pink staplers. ²₅ of the staplers were white and ³₈ of the remainder were silver staplers.The rest were pink staplers.

1. Find the ratio of the number of pink staplers to the number of white staplers.
2. There were 196 fewer silver staplers than white staplers. How many staplers were there in the packet?

White staplers	Silver staplers	Pink staplers
2x8	3x8
	3x3	5x3
16 u	9 u	15 u

(a)
Fraction of white staplers = ²₅
Fraction of staplers that are not white = 1 - ²₅ = ³₅

Remaining fraction of silver staplers = ³₈
Remaining fraction of pink staplers = 1 - ³₈ = ⁵₈

The total number of silver staplers and pink staplers is the repeated identity.
Make the repeated identity the same by using LCM.
LCM of 3 and 8 = 24

Pink staplers : White staplers
15 : 16

(b)
Difference in the number of white staplers and silver staplers
= 16 u - 9 u
= 7 u

7 u = 196
1 u = 196 ÷ 7 = 28

Total number of staplers
= 16 u + 9 u + 15 u
= 40 u
= 40 x 28
= 1120

Answer(s): (a) 15 : 16; (b) 1120