PSLE
Zoe spent ¹₁₀ of her money on a coat and 2 skirts. The coat cost 2 times as much as each skirt. Zoe spent ⁵₆ of her remaining money on a ring. She spent $728 more on the ring than on the 2 skirts.
(a) What fraction of Zoe's money was spent on each skirt?
(b) How much money did Zoe have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 skirt = 1 u

Cost of 2 skirts
= 2 x 1 u
= 2 u

Cost of 1 coat = 2 u

Cost of 1 coat and 2 skirts
= 2 u + 2 u
= 4 u

Fraction of Zoe's money spent on each skirt
= ¹₄ x ¹₁₀
= ¹₄₀

(b)
¹₁₀ of her money = 4 u
⁹₁₀ of her money = 9 x 4 u = 36 u

Zoe's remaining money = 36 u

Cost of the ring
= ⁵₆ x 36 u
= 30 u

Amount that Zoe spent more on the ring than on the 2 skirts
= 30 u - 2 u
= 28 u

28 u = 728

1 u = 728 ÷ 28 = 26

¹⁰₁₀ of her money = 10 x 4 u = 40 u

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

Answer(s): (a) ¹₄₀ ; (b) $1040