Brandon placed 29 pins in a row from one to the other end of a bulletin board at equal distance apart as shown in the diagram. The distance between the first and last pin was 84 cm.
- What was the distance between the first and seventh pin?
- Brandon decided to remove 7 pins and rearrange the remaining pins at a new equal spacing. What was the new distance of each spacing?
(a)
Number of intervals is 1 less than the number of pins.
Number of intervals in 29 pins
= 29 - 1
= 28
28 intervals = 84 cm
1 interval = 84 ÷ 28 = 3 cm
Number of intervals between the first and the seventh pin = 6
Distance between the first and the seventh pin
= 6 x 3
= 18 cm
(b)
Number of pins left
= 29 - 7
= 22
Number of intervals
= 22 - 1
= 21
New distance of each spacing
= 84 ÷ 21
= 4 cm
Answer(s): (a) 18 cm; (b) 4 cm