PSLE
Vanessa spent ¹₆ of her money on a windbreaker and 2 shirts. The windbreaker cost 2 times as much as each shirt. Vanessa spent ³₄ of her remaining money on a bracelet. She spent $286 more on the bracelet than on the 2 shirts.
(a) What fraction of Vanessa's money was spent on each shirt?
(b) How much money did Vanessa have at first?
(a)
Cost of 1 shirt = 1 u

Cost of 2 shirts
= 2 x 1 u
= 2 u

Cost of 1 windbreaker = 2 u

Cost of 1 windbreaker and 2 shirts
= 2 u + 2 u
= 4 u

Fraction of Vanessa's money spent on each shirt
= ¹₄ x ¹₆
= ¹₂₄

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

Vanessa's remaining money = 20 u

Cost of the bracelet
= ³₄ x 20 u
= 15 u

Amount that Vanessa spent more on the bracelet than on the 2 shirts
= 15 u - 2 u
= 13 u

13 u = 286

1 u = 286 ÷ 13 = 22

⁶₆ of her money = 6 x 4 u = 24 u

Amount that Vanessa had at first
= 24 u
= 24 x 22
= $528

Answer(s): (a) ¹₂₄ ; (b) $528