Opal baked 60 macarons. ³₅ of the macarons were mango macarons. The rest were vanilla macarons. She gave an equal number of mango macarons and vanilla macarons away and had 3 times as many mango macarons as vanilla macarons left. How many macarons did she give away?

	Mango macarons	Vanilla macarons	Difference
Before	3x2 = 6 u	2x2 = 4 u	1x2 = 2 u
Change	- 3 u	- 3 u
After	3x1 = 3 u	1x1 = 1 u	2x1 = 2 u

Since Opal gave away an equal number of mango macarons and vanilla macarons, the difference in the number of mango macarons and vanilla macarons remains unchanged.  Make the difference in the mango macarons and vanilla macarons the same.  LCM of 1 and 2 is 2.

Total number of macarons at first
= 6 u + 4 u
= 10 u

10 u = 60

1 u = 60 ÷ 10 = 6

Number of macarons that Opal gave away
= 3 u + 3 u
= 6 u
= 6 x 6 
= 36

Answer(s): 36