Pierre had three boxes, containing a total of 1500 styrofoam bowls. The number of styrofoam bowls in Box U to the total number of styrofoam bowls was 3 : 10. He sold 252 styrofoam bowls from Box V and sold ¹₅ of the styrofoam bowls in Box W. The number of styrofoam bowls left in Box V to the number of styrofoam bowls left in Box W was 4 : 1. How many styrofoam bowls were there in Box V at first?

	Box U	Box V	Box W	Total
Before	3 u	7 u (1050)		10 u (1500)
		16 p + 252	5 p
Change		- 252	- 1 p
			4 p
After		4x4 = 16 p	1x4 = 4 p

10 u = 1500
1 u = 1500 ÷ 10 = 150

Number of styrofoam bowls in Box V and Box W at first
= 7 u
= 7 x 150
= 1050

The number of bowls left in W is the repeated identity.
LCM of 1 and 4 = 4

16 p + 252 + 5 p = 1050
16 p + 5 p = 1050 - 252
21 p = 798

1 p = 798 ÷ 21 = 38

Number of bowls in Box V at first
= 16 p + 252
= 16 x 38 + 252
= 608 + 252
= 860

Answer(s):860