Give the step-by-step reasoning process and then the final answer. 48 children are trying to share a pack of sweets. After taking 4 sweets each, there is still a third of the original amount left. What is the original number of sweets in the pack?
48 children took 4 each for a total of 48 * 4 = 192 sweets. If there is 1 / 3 left then 192 is 1 - (1 / 3) = 2 / 3 of the original amount (The whole packet minus 1 third). Therefore 192 is 2 / 3 of the original amount: (2 / 3) * original amount = 192. Multiplying both sides of the equation by (3 / 2) gives: original amount = 192 * (3 / 2) = 288.
The final answer: 288.