PSLE
Anna and Cole bought towels at the prices shown below.

3 Large towels for $12
4 Small towels for $6

1. Anna bought an equal number of large and small towels. She spent $120 more on the large ones. How many towels did she buy altogether?
2. Cole spent an equal amount of money on the large and small towels. What fraction of the towels he bought were small?

(a)
Number of large and small towels that Anna bought is the same. Make the number of large and small towels the same. LCM of 3 and 4 is 12.

Cost of 3 large towels = $12
Cost of 12 large towels = 4 x 12 = $48

Cost of 4 small towels = $6
Cost of 12 small towels = 3 x 6 = $18

Difference in the cost of buying 12 small towels and 12 large towels
= 48 - 18
= $30

Number of sets of towels
= 120 ÷ 30
= 4

Number of towels that Anna bought
= 4 x 2 x 12
= 96

(b)
Cole spent an equal amount of money on the large and small towels. Make the amount of money spent on the large and small towels the same.
LCM of 12 and 6 is 12.

Number of large towels that Cole bought
= 3 x (12 ÷ 12)
= 3 x 1
= 3

Number of the small towels that Cole bought
= 4 x (12 ÷ 6)
= 4 x 2
= 8

Fraction of the towels that Cole bought that were small
= ⁸_{3 + 8}
= ⁸₁₁

Answer(s): (a) 96; (b) ⁸₁₁