Answer: Mary had R70
Explanation:
To find out how much money Mary originally had, we can use a step-by-step approach:
Step 1: Let's assume Mary originally had X amount of money.
Step 2: Mary gave one-third of her money to Nazeem, which means she kept two-thirds (2/3) of her money.
Step 3: Mary also gave one-fifth of her money to Elwethu, which means she kept four-fifths (4/5) of the money she had after giving some to Nazeem.
Step 4: We know that Elwethu received R28 less than Nazeem. This means that the difference between the amounts Nazeem and Elwethu received is R28.
Step 5: Let's set up an equation based on the information we have:
(2/3) * X - (4/5) * (1/3) * X = R28
Step 6: Simplify the equation:
(2/3) * X - (4/15) * X = R28
Step 7: Find the common denominator for the fractions:
(10/15) * X - (4/15) * X = R28
Step 8: Combine like terms:
(6/15) * X = R28
Step 9: Simplify further:
(2/5) * X = R28
Step 10: Divide both sides of the equation by (2/5) to solve for X:
X = R28 / (2/5)
Step 11: Calculate X:
X = R28 * (5/2)
Step 12: Simplify the expression:
X = R70
Therefore, Mary originally had R70