This is a fun and engaging math puzzle to challenge even the smartest students and help them develop logic skills.
Challenge:
The total weight of a box and the candies it contains is 12 pounds. After \(\frac{2}{3}\) of the candies are eaten, the box and the remaining candies weigh 5 pounds. What is the weight of the empty box in pounds?
A- \(\frac{2}{3}\)
B- 1
C- \(\frac{3}{2}\)
D- \(2\frac{1}{2}\)
E- 5
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The correct answer is C.
Let “B” be the weight of the box and “C” be the weight of the candies. So:
B + C = 12
After \(\frac{2}{3}\) of the candies are eaten, the box and the remaining candies weigh 5 pounds. So,
B + \(\frac{1}{3}\) C = 5
Solve the system of two equations:
B + C = 12 → B = 12 – C
B + \(\frac{1}{3}\) C = 5 → 12 – C + \(\frac{1}{3}\) C = 5 → 12 – \(\frac{2}{3}\) C = 5 → C = 10.5
B = 12 – C → B = 12 – 10.5 = 1.5
The weight of the box is 1.5 pounds.
