Two hours ago, a store owner started his day with some persimmons and pears in the ratio of 5 : 2. There were 120 pears. Some of the persimmons were bought by Mary. As a result, the number of persimmons became
45 of the pears.
- How many persimmons did the store owner have at first?
- How many pears did the store owner have to sell in order to have an equal number of persimmons and pears?
|
Persimmons |
Pears |
Before |
5x5 = 25 u |
2x5 = 10 u |
Change |
- ? |
|
After |
4x2 = 8 u |
5x2 = 10 u |
(a)
The number of pears remains unchanged. Make the number of pears the same. LCM of 2 and 5 is 10.
10 u = 120
1 u = 120 ÷ 10 = 12
Number of persimmons that the store owner had at first
= 25 u
= 25 x 12
= 300
(b)
Number of pears that the store owner had to sell to have an equal number of persimmons and pears
= 10 u - 8 u
= 2 u
= 2 x 12
= 24
Answer(s): (a) 300; (b) 24