PSLE
Gem and Ken bought towels at the prices shown below.

3 Large towels for $16
4 Small towels for $10

1. Gem bought an equal number of large and small towels. She spent $136 more on the large ones. How many towels did she buy altogether?
2. Ken spent an equal amount of money on the large and small towels. What fraction of the towels he bought were large?

(a)
Number of large and small towels that Gem 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 = $16
Cost of 12 large towels = 4 x 16 = $64

Cost of 4 small towels = $10
Cost of 12 small towels = 3 x 10 = $30

Difference in the cost of buying 12 small towels and 12 large towels
= 64 - 30
= $34

Number of sets of towels
= 136 ÷ 34
= 4

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

(b)
Ken 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 16 and 10 is 80.

Number of large towels that Ken bought
= 3 x (80 ÷ 16)
= 3 x 5
= 15

Number of the small towels that Ken bought
= 4 x (80 ÷ 10)
= 4 x 8
= 32

Fraction of the towels that Ken bought that were large
= ¹⁵_{15 + 32}
= ¹⁵₄₇

Answer(s): (a) 96; (b) ¹⁵₄₇