Fiona purchased a bottle of cooking wine. She used ³₅ of the cooking wine in January. She then used the remaining cooking wine in February and March in the ratio 1 : 4. Given that the amount of the cooking wine used in March was 0.35 ℓ less than that in January, how many millilitres of cooking wine did the bottle contain at first?

January	February	March	Total
3x5	2x5		5x5
	1x2	4x2
15 u	2 u	8 u	25 u

Total volume of February and March is combined repeated identity. Make the total volume of February and March the same. LCM of 2 and 5 is 10.

Volume of less cooking wine syrup in the bottle used in March than January
= 15 u - 8 u
= 7 u

7 u = 0.35 

1 u = 0.35 ÷ 7 = 0.05

Amount of cooking wine in the bottle at first
= 25 u
= 25 x 0.05
= 1.25 ℓ

1 ℓ = 1000 mℓ

Amount of cooking wine in the bottle at first
= 1.25 x 1000
= 1250 mℓ

Answer(s): 1250 mℓ