Question

Farmer Fred was harvesting pumpkins for thanksgiving.He picked 25 pumpkins.He decided to put the pumpkins into 4 piles In the first pile ,he put some pumpkins.The second pile had two less pumpkins than the firstThe last pile had twice as many pumpkins as the second pileThe third pile had one less pumpkin than the last pile.How many pumpkins were there in the last pile?

Answer 1

Equations

Suppose:

x = Number of pumpkins in the first pile

We know the second pile had two fewer pumpkins than the first pile, thus:

x - 2 = Number of pumpkins in the second pile.

We also know the last pile had twice as many pumpkins as the second pile, thus:

2(x - 2) = Number of pumpkins in the last (fourth) pile.

Finally, the third pile had one fewer pumpkin than the last pile, thus:

2(x - 2) - 1 = Number of pumpkins in the third pile.

The sum of all the pumpkins is 25, thus:

x + x - 2 + 2(x - 2) + 2(x - 2) - 1 = 25

Operating:

x + x - 2 + 2x - 4 + 2 - 44 1 = 25

Simplifying:

6x -11 = 25Siml

Adding 11:

6x = 36

Dividing by 6:

x = 6

This means 2(x - 2) = 2(6 - 2) = 2*4 = 8

The last pile had 8 pumpkins

To complete the answer:

The first pile had x=6 pumpkins

The second pile had x - 2 = 4 pumpkins

The third pile had 8 - 1 = 7 pumpkins

Total = 8 + 6 + 4 + 7 = 25 pumpkins (as required)