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Backtrack or work from false position.
Backtracking: Each brother got 4 cookies, so the brothers shared 12. This is half of the original number of cookies, so the original number is 24 (multiply 12 by 2).
False position: Pick a convenient number of cookies for Marcus, then see what would have happened. Say that Marcus had 60 cookies (a good number, since 60 is very divisible). Half go to David, so there are 30 to split among 3 brothers. If Marcus had 60, each brother gets 10 cookies.
So, to turn 10 into 4 we need to multiply by 0.4, which shows that Marcus had (60)(0.4) = 24 cookies to start.
As with Problem B10, finding the solution by covering up is possible, but difficult. A solution found by doing the same thing to both sides is only possible after creating an equation for the entire situation.
<< back to Problem H5
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