PSLE
Vanessa spent ¹₉ of her money on a blazer and 3 sweaters. The blazer cost 2 times as much as each sweater. Vanessa spent ³₈ of her remaining money on a ring. She spent $324 more on the ring than on the 3 sweaters.
(a) What fraction of Vanessa's money was spent on each sweater?
(b) How much money did Vanessa have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 sweater = 1 u

Cost of 3 sweaters
= 3 x 1 u
= 3 u

Cost of 1 blazer = 2 u

Cost of 1 blazer and 3 sweaters
= 2 u + 3 u
= 5 u

Fraction of Vanessa's money spent on each sweater
= ¹₅ x ¹₉
= ¹₄₅

(b)
¹₉ of her money = 5 u
⁸₉ of her money = 8 x 5 u = 40 u

Vanessa's remaining money = 40 u

Cost of the ring
= ³₈ x 40 u
= 15 u

Amount that Vanessa spent more on the ring than on the 3 sweaters
= 15 u - 3 u
= 12 u

12 u = 324

1 u = 324 ÷ 12 = 27

⁹₉ of her money = 9 x 5 u = 45 u

Amount that Vanessa had at first
= 45 u
= 45 x 27
= $1215

Answer(s): (a) ¹₄₅ ; (b) $1215