Andy had an equal number of strawberry cupcakes, vanila cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes. After he ate 34 strawberry cupcakes, some vanila cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes, there were 59 cupcakes left. The number of vanila cupcakes he ate was twice the number of chocolate cupcakes he ate. The number of vanila cupcakes left was 20 more than the number of strawberry cupcakes left. How many strawberry cupcakes were there at first?

	Strawberry cupcakes	Vanila cupcakes	Chocolate cupcakes	Total cupcakes
Before	1 p + 34	1 p + 2 u + 20	1 p + 2 u + 20
Change	- 34	- 2 u	- 1 u
After	1 p	1 p + 20	1 p + 20 + 1 u	59

Number of vanila cupcakes and strawberry cupcakes was equal at first.

1 p + 2 u + 20 = 1 p + 34
2 u = 34 - 20
2 u = 14

1 u = 14 ÷ 2 = 7

Total number of cupcakes in the end
= 1 p + 1 p + 20 + 1 p + 20 + 7
= 1 p + 1 p + 1 p + 20 + 20 + 7
= 3 p + 47

3 p + 47 = 59
3 p = 59 - 47
3 p = 12

1 p = 12 ÷ 3 = 4

Number of strawberry cupcakes at first
= 1 p + 34
= 4 + 34
= 38

Answer(s): 38