Question

A bakery was about to sell fresh baguettes, and people formed a line outside to wait. While waiting for the bread to bake, every space between two people in the line was filled by a new person who had joined the line. More time passed, and again each space between the people waiting was filled with a new person who joined the line. Finally, 85 fresh baguettes were brought out and one baguette was sold to each person. How many people were standing in the original line?

Answer 1

The number of people standing in the original line is 22 people

Explanation:

The information given are;

The number of baguettes that was shared by the people on the line = 85

The number of baguettes each person received = 1 each

Therefore;

The number of people that were finally on the line = 85

Let the number of people in the original line = X

Then each space between two people in X was filled by 1 new person of the first set of people who joined the line

Therefore;

The number of the first set of people who joined the line = The number of spaces between two count of people in X

Which gives;

The number of people who joined the line = X - 1

The new total number of people on the line = X + X - 1 = 2·X - 1

As time passed, a second set of people joined the line such that each space between the people waiting was filled with a new person (from the second set) who joined the line

Therefore, the number of people in the second set = Number of people waiting - 1

Which gives;

The number of people in the second set = 2·X - 1 - 1 = 2·X - 2

The total number of people on the line becomes 2·X - 1 + 2·X - 2 = 4·X - 3

The 85 baguettes is then able to go round (each) among the total number of people on the line

Therefore;

The total number of people on the line = The number of baguettes sheared

4·X - 3 = 85

4·X = 85 + 3 = 88

X = 88/4 = 22

Therefore;

The number of people standing in the original line = 22.