Q. Three friends went to a restaurant. After dinner, they paid their bill and noticed a bowl of mints. Sita took 1/3 of the mints, but returned 4. Fatima took 1/4 of what left but returned three. Eswari then took half of the remaining but retuned 2. The bowl had only 17 mints left. How many mints were there originally in the bowl?

• There were 48 mints in begining.
  sita took 48/3-4= 12 mints.balance 36 mints.
  Fatima took 36/4-3= 9-3=6 mints; balance 30 mints.
  Eswari took 30/2 -2= 13 mints and then balance 17 mints left in bowl.
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(9) No(3)
• Let total number of mints in the bowl is "x"
  so according to Q)
  sita=[(1/3)*x-4] fatima=[(1/4)x-3] eswari=[(1/2)x-2]
  sita+fatima+eswari=17
  solving we get x=24
  total number of mint= 24
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(1) No(6)
• total number of mints = 48.
  
  sita took 1/3 of 48 = 16 but returned 4 so net taken= 12
  remaining mints = 36
  fatima took 1/4 of 36 = 9 but returned 3 so net taken= 6
  remaining mints = 30
  eswari took 1/2 of 30 = 15 but returned 2 so net taken = 13
  
  remaining = 17. hence 48 ans.
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(1) No(1)
• THERE ARE x mints,
  now sita takes x/3 mints, returns 4, fatima takes x/4 mints and returns 3, eswari took half of remaining
  so x-(x/4+x/3) = 5x/12 double it = 5x/24
  addition takes place
  (x/3-4)+(x/4-3)+(5x/24-2)= 17
  12x-132/12= 17
  x=28
  
  Number of mints in bowl are 32.84 or approximately 33
  
  
• 8 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(2)