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Whole numbersStructured · 4 marks

Priya packed all her stickers equally into 48 packets. 8 of the packets were torn, and the stickers from these torn packets were then placed into the remaining packets. As a result, the number of stickers in each remaining packet increased by 6. What was the number of stickers in each packet at first?

  1. How many packets were left after 8 packets were torn?
  2. What was the number of stickers in each packet at first?
Need a hint?

The extra stickers in the remaining packets came from the torn packets. Find the total number of extra stickers first.

Worked answer

  1. (a) Packets left = 48 − 8 = 40.
  2. (b) Each of the 40 packets got 6 more stickers, so the torn packets held 40 × 6 = 240 stickers.
  3. (b) These 240 stickers were in 8 packets, so each packet had 240 ÷ 8 = 30 stickers at first.
Answer: 30 stickers

The mistake this question tests

Habit

Calculation slip

Pupils may divide 48 by 8 or multiply 8 by 6 directly, without realising the 6 extra stickers per packet must be multiplied by the 40 remaining packets to find the total stickers from the torn packets.

How to fix it at home →

Wrong answers children often give:

  • 36 Calculation slip

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