PSLE
Xuan spent ¹₈ of her money on a blouse and 3 coats. The blouse cost 2 times as much as each coat. Xuan spent ³₅ of her remaining money on a ring. She spent $468 more on the ring than on the 3 coats.
(a) What fraction of Xuan's money was spent on each coat?
(b) How much money did Xuan have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 coat = 1 u

Cost of 3 coats
= 3 x 1 u
= 3 u

Cost of 1 blouse = 2 u

Cost of 1 blouse and 3 coats
= 2 u + 3 u
= 5 u

Fraction of Xuan's money spent on each coat
= ¹₅ x ¹₈
= ¹₄₀

(b)
¹₈ of her money = 5 u
⁷₈ of her money = 7 x 5 u = 35 u

Xuan's remaining money = 35 u

Cost of the ring
= ³₅ x 35 u
= 21 u

Amount that Xuan spent more on the ring than on the 3 coats
= 21 u - 3 u
= 18 u

18 u = 468

1 u = 468 ÷ 18 = 26

⁸₈ of her money = 8 x 5 u = 40 u

Amount that Xuan had at first
= 40 u
= 40 x 26
= $1040

Answer(s): (a) ¹₄₀ ; (b) $1040