Japheth, Cole and Asher have some erasers. The ratios of their erasers are as follows:

Japheth : (Japheth + Cole + Asher) = 2 : 5
Cole : (Japheth + Asher) = 1 : 5

Asher has 72 erasers more than Cole. In the end, Asher gives away all he has to Cole and Japheth so that both Cole and Japheth end up with the same number of erasers, how many erasers has Japheth received from Asher?

Cole	Asher	Japheth	Total
3x6		2x6	5x6
1x5	5x5		6x5
5 u	13 u	12 u	30 u

The total number of erasers is repeated.  Make the total number of erasers the same.  LCM of 5 and 6 is 30.

Number of erasers that Asher has more than Cole
= 13 u - 5 u
= 8 u

8 u = 72

1 u = 72 ÷ 8 = 9

	Cole	Asher	Japheth
Before	5 u	13 u	12 u
Change	+ 10 u	- 13 u	+ 3 u
After	15 u	0 u	15 u

Number of erasers that Japheth has received from Asher
= 15 u - 12 u 
= 3 u
= 3 x 9
= 27

Answer(s): 27