PSLE
Joelle spent ¹₇ of her money on a blazer and 2 skirts. The blazer cost 2 times as much as each skirt. Joelle spent ⁴₅ of her remaining money on a ring. She spent $258 more on the ring than on the 2 skirts.
(a) What fraction of Joelle's money was spent on each skirt?
(b) How much money did Joelle have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 skirt = 1 u

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

Cost of 1 blazer = 2 u

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

Fraction of Joelle's money spent on each skirt
= ¹₄ x ¹₇
= ¹₂₈

(b)
¹₇ of her money = 4 u
⁶₇ of her money = 6 x 4 u = 24 u

Joelle's remaining money = 24 u

Cost of the ring
= ⁴₅ x 24 u
= 19.2 u

Amount that Joelle spent more on the ring than on the 2 skirts
= 19.2 u - 2 u
= 17.2 u

17.2 u = 258

1 u = 258 ÷ 17.2 = 15

⁷₇ of her money = 7 x 4 u = 28 u

Amount that Joelle had at first
= 28 u
= 28 x 15
= $420

Answer(s): (a) ¹₂₈ ; (b) $420