PSLE
Mary spent ¹₇ of her money on a jumpsuit and 4 skirts. The jumpsuit cost 3 times as much as each skirt. Mary spent ¹₂ of her remaining money on a bracelet. She spent $272 more on the bracelet than on the 4 skirts.
(a) What fraction of Mary's money was spent on each skirt?
(b) How much money did Mary have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 skirt = 1 u

Cost of 4 skirts
= 4 x 1 u
= 4 u

Cost of 1 jumpsuit = 3 u

Cost of 1 jumpsuit and 4 skirts
= 3 u + 4 u
= 7 u

Fraction of Mary's money spent on each skirt
= ¹₇ x ¹₇
= ¹₄₉

(b)
¹₇ of her money = 7 u
⁶₇ of her money = 6 x 7 u = 42 u

Mary's remaining money = 42 u

Cost of the bracelet
= ¹₂ x 42 u
= 21 u

Amount that Mary spent more on the bracelet than on the 4 skirts
= 21 u - 4 u
= 17 u

17 u = 272

1 u = 272 ÷ 17 = 16

⁷₇ of her money = 7 x 7 u = 49 u

Amount that Mary had at first
= 49 u
= 49 x 16
= $784

Answer(s): (a) ¹₄₉ ; (b) $784