PSLE
Pamela spent ¹₇ of her money on a shirt and 5 skirts. The shirt cost 2 times as much as each skirt. Pamela spent ⁵₆ of her remaining money on a bracelet. She spent $540 more on the bracelet than on the 5 skirts.
(a) What fraction of Pamela's money was spent on each skirt?
(b) How much money did Pamela have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 skirt = 1 u

Cost of 5 skirts
= 5 x 1 u
= 5 u

Cost of 1 shirt = 2 u

Cost of 1 shirt and 5 skirts
= 2 u + 5 u
= 7 u

Fraction of Pamela'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

Pamela's remaining money = 42 u

Cost of the bracelet
= ⁵₆ x 42 u
= 35 u

Amount that Pamela spent more on the bracelet than on the 5 skirts
= 35 u - 5 u
= 30 u

30 u = 540

1 u = 540 ÷ 30 = 18

⁷₇ of her money = 7 x 7 u = 49 u

Amount that Pamela had at first
= 49 u
= 49 x 18
= $882

Answer(s): (a) ¹₄₉ ; (b) $882