Joelle baked 20 croissants. ³₅ of the croissants were butter cream croissants. The rest were strawberry croissants. She gave an equal number of butter cream croissants and strawberry croissants away and had 3 times as many butter cream croissants as strawberry croissants left. How many croissants did she give away?

	Butter cream croissants	Strawberry croissants	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 Joelle gave away an equal number of butter cream croissants and strawberry croissants, the difference in the number of butter cream croissants and strawberry croissants remains unchanged.  Make the difference in the butter cream croissants and strawberry croissants the same.  LCM of 1 and 2 is 2.

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

10 u = 20

1 u = 20 ÷ 10 = 2

Number of croissants that Joelle gave away
= 3 u + 3 u
= 6 u
= 6 x 2 
= 12

Answer(s): 12