Quiz

[grumpee]

Hi

Is there a special way of working out this puzzle. I've been trying different scenarios but am totally stumped

In my local sweet shop Chewies cost 5p, lollies cost 4p and you get 4 gummy worms for 1p.

I spent £1 and I got 100 sweets.

How many Chewies did I buy?

[fiction-factory]

15 chewies, I lolly and 84 gummies

[cashier]

Perhaps none. If you bought 20 lollies that would be 80p and if you spent the remaining 20p on gummy worms you would get 80.80 and 20 = 100

[fiction-factory]

do simultaneous equations
C + L + G = 100 (where C, L and G are the numbers of chewies, lollies and gummies)
and 5C + 4L + 0.25 G= 100 (which i rewrote as 20C +16L+G= 400)

Reduce to get 19C +15L=300

The only multiple of 19 that leaves a balance (from 300) which is a multiple of 15 is 285 (15 x 19= 285). Take it from there

[fiction-factory]

Looks okay too cashier.

[cashier]

I think your answer is better fiction-factory, mine is a bit too simplistic.

[fiction-factory]

Both look equally valid to me

[grumpee]

thanks very much for your help - much appreciated