The seats in a community hall were set out in rows, with the same number of seats in every row. Siti sat on one of the seats. There were 6 seats to her left and 9 seats to her right. There were 5 rows in front of her and 3 rows behind her.
- How many seats were in Siti's row?
- How many seats were there in the community hall?
Need a hint?
Count Siti's own seat as well as the seats on each side, and count her row as well as the rows in front and behind.
Worked answer
- (a) Seats in Siti's row = 6 + 1 (Siti's seat) + 9 = 16.
- (b) Rows in the hall = 5 + 1 (Siti's row) + 3 = 9.
- (b) Total seats = 16 × 9 = 144.
Answer: 144 seats
The mistake this question tests
Habit
Calculation slip
Pupils often leave out Siti's own seat or her own row, so they add only 6 + 9 = 15 or multiply by 8 rows instead of 9.
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