Question

The ratio of the number of pears to the number of apples in the basket was 3 : 5 After Sean ate 2 apples, there were still 2 more apples than pears. How many pears were there in the basket?

Answer 1

`5 - 2 = 3`
so there are three apples

`3 - 2 = 1`
so the ratio is 1:3,

there is 1 pear in the basket

Answer 2

Number of pears in the basket = 6 pears

Explanation:

The ratio of pears by number to that of apples by number in the basket was 3 : 5, simply mean for every 3 pears in the basket there are 5 apples

Total ratio of pear and apple = 3+5 = 8.

I.e For every 8 fruits in the basket, there are 3pears and 5apples

Given after Sean ate 2 apples, there were still 2 more apples than pears, meaning that before Sean eat the 2 apples, there were 4more apples that pears.

I.e

number of apples = 4 + number of pear

Let x represent number of pears

Number of apples = x + 4

Number of pear : number of apples

= 3 : 5

= x : x+4

cross multiple

5x = 3x + 12

5x - 3x = 12

2x = 12

x = 6. Recall that x rep. number of pear.

Number of pears in the basket = 6 pears