PSLE
Irene spent ¹₇ of her money on a jacket and 2 blouses. The jacket cost 3 times as much as each blouse. Irene spent ⁵₈ of her remaining money on a ring. She spent $234.5 more on the ring than on the 2 blouses.
(a) What fraction of Irene's money was spent on each blouse?
(b) How much money did Irene have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 blouse = 1 u

Cost of 2 blouses
= 2 x 1 u
= 2 u

Cost of 1 jacket = 3 u

Cost of 1 jacket and 2 blouses
= 3 u + 2 u
= 5 u

Fraction of Irene's money spent on each blouse
= ¹₅ x ¹₇
= ¹₃₅

(b)
¹₇ of her money = 5 u
⁶₇ of her money = 6 x 5 u = 30 u

Irene's remaining money = 30 u

Cost of the ring
= ⁵₈ x 30 u
= 18.75 u

Amount that Irene spent more on the ring than on the 2 blouses
= 18.75 u - 2 u
= 16.75 u

16.75 u = 234.5

1 u = 234.5 ÷ 16.75 = 14

⁷₇ of her money = 7 x 5 u = 35 u

Amount that Irene had at first
= 35 u
= 35 x 14
= $490

Answer(s): (a) ¹₃₅ ; (b) $490