A shop wants to sell a certain quantity (in kg) of grains. It sells half the quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the first customer. Then, it sells half of the remaining quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the second customer. Finally, when the shop sells half of the remaining quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the third customer, there are no grains left. The initial quantity, in kg, of grains is
A shop wants to sell a certain quantity (in kg) of grains. It sells half the quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the first customer. Then, it sells half of the remaining quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the second customer. Finally, when the shop sells half of the remaining quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the third customer, there are no grains left. The initial quantity, in kg, of grains is
Solution
✅ Correct Option: 1
| What We Know | Mathematical Expression |
|---|---|
| Shop starts with some quantity | Let's call this kg |
| Shop sells "half + 3 kg" | Amount sold kg |
| What's left after selling | Amount left |
| Simplify the "Amount left" | kg |
Hence, we have left after selling to each customer.
We can think in reverse (as no grains are left after selling to the 3rd customer):
| Step | Left After Sale | Left After Sale | Solution | Before Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After 3rd | 0 kg | 6 kg before 3rd customer | ||
| After 2nd | 6 kg | 18 kg before 2nd customer | ||
| After 1st | 18 kg | 42 kg initially |
Hence, there were 42 kgs.
You could also try with options (could be faster):
Trying with kg:
| Customer | Quantity at Start | Total Sold = Half Quantity + 3 kg | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 42 kg | - | 42 kg |
| Customer 1 | 42 kg | 21 + 3 = 24 kg | 18 kg |
| Customer 2 | 18 kg | 9 + 3 = 12 kg | 6 kg |
| Customer 3 | 6 kg | 3 + 3 = 6 kg | 0 kg ✓ |
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