PSLE
Nora spent ¹₆ of her money on a jacket and 2 blouses. The jacket cost 2 times as much as each blouse. Nora spent ¹₂ of her remaining money on a ring. She spent $136 more on the ring than on the 2 blouses.
(a) What fraction of Nora's money was spent on each blouse?
(b) How much money did Nora have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 blouse = 1 u

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

Cost of 1 jacket = 2 u

Cost of 1 jacket and 2 blouses
= 2 u + 2 u
= 4 u

Fraction of Nora's money spent on each blouse
= ¹₄ x ¹₆
= ¹₂₄

(b)
¹₆ of her money = 4 u
⁵₆ of her money = 5 x 4 u = 20 u

Nora's remaining money = 20 u

Cost of the ring
= ¹₂ x 20 u
= 10 u

Amount that Nora spent more on the ring than on the 2 blouses
= 10 u - 2 u
= 8 u

8 u = 136

1 u = 136 ÷ 8 = 17

⁶₆ of her money = 6 x 4 u = 24 u

Amount that Nora had at first
= 24 u
= 24 x 17
= $408

Answer(s): (a) ¹₂₄ ; (b) $408