Gabriel had an equal number of strawberry scones, blueberry scones and matcha scones. After he ate 35 strawberry scones, some blueberry scones and matcha scones, there were 73 scones left. The number of blueberry scones he ate was thrice the number of matcha scones he ate. The number of blueberry scones left was 17 more than the number of strawberry scones left. How many strawberry scones were there at first?

	Strawberry scones	Blueberry scones	Matcha scones	Total scones
Before	1 p + 35	1 p + 3 u + 17	1 p + 3 u + 17
Change	- 35	- 3 u	- 1 u
After	1 p	1 p + 17	1 p + 17 + 1 u	73

Number of blueberry scones and strawberry scones was equal at first.

1 p + 3 u + 17 = 1 p + 35
3 u = 35 - 17
3 u = 18

1 u = 18 ÷ 3 = 6

Total number of scones in the end
= 1 p + 1 p + 17 + 1 p + 17 + 6
= 1 p + 1 p + 1 p + 17 + 17 + 6
= 3 p + 40

3 p + 40 = 73
3 p = 73 - 40
3 p = 33

1 p = 33 ÷ 3 = 11

Number of strawberry scones at first
= 1 p + 35
= 11 + 35
= 46

Answer(s): 46