Let N = smallest number. N + 2 = next number. N + 4 = largest number. N + (N + 2) + (N + 4) =  - 147. 3N + 6 =  - 147. 3N =  - 153. N =  - 51. The largest number is - 47.
The answer: -47
Reverse engineering the question: There are 3 consecutive odd integers that have a sum of -147. What is the largest number?


Reasoning and answer: The second tomato plant bore 8 + 4 = 12 fruit. The first two plants bore 8 + 12 = 20 fruit combined. Each of the other two plants bore 20 x 3 = 60 fruit. Mabel has 8 + 12 + 60 + 60 = 140 tomatoes.
The answer: 140
What was the question?
Question: Mabel planted 4 tomato plants. One tomato plant bore 8 tomatoes and another bore 4 more tomatoes than the first. The two remaining plants each bore three times the number of tomatoes as the first two plants combined. How many tomatoes does Mabel have?


First find the total number of striped nails: 20 nails - 6 nails - 8 nails = 6 nails. Then divide the number of blue nails by the number of total nails and multiply by 100% to express the answer as a percentage: 8 blue nails / 20 total nails * 100% = 40%. Then divide the number of striped nails by the number of total nails and multiply by 100% to express the answer as a percentage: 6 striped nails / 20 total nails * 100% = 30%. Then subtract the percentage of striped nails from the percentage of blue nails to find the difference: 40% - 30% = 10%.
The answer: 10
Reverse engineering the question: Jill is painting her 20 toenails and fingernails. She paints 6 of her nails purple, 8 of them blue, and the rest striped. What is the difference in percentage points between the percentage of nails painted blue and the percentage painted striped?


Reasoning and answer: Kay 32 years old. Youngest:32 / 2 - 5 = 11 years old. Oldest:11(4) = 44 years old.
The answer: 44
What was the question?
Question: Kay has 14 siblings. Kay is 32 years old. The youngest sibling is 5 less than half Kay's age. The oldest sibling is four times as old as the youngest sibling. How old is the oldest sibling?


Kirsty has 0.45 × 30 = $13.50 to spare to buy her models. She can only buy 13.50 ÷ 0.50 = 27 models as the price of each individual model has increased.
The answer: 27
Reverse engineering the question: Kirsty collects small models of animals. The last time she bought some, each one cost $0.45. She saves enough to buy 30 models, but when she goes to the shop, she finds out that the price had increased to $0.50. How many models can she buy now?


First find the total number of pages that are crumpled: 42 pages / 7 = 6 pages. Then find the total number of pages that are blurred: 42 pages / 3 = 14 pages. Then find the number of pages that are both blurred and crumpled by finding how many numbers are less or equal to 42 and divisible by both 3 and 7: there are two, 21 and 42. Then subtract the number of crumpled and blurred pages from the total number of pages, and add the number of pages that were double - counted because they were both blurred and crumpled: 42 pages - 6 pages - 14 pages + 2 pages = 24 pages.
The answer: 24
Reverse engineering the question:
James has an old printer that crumples every seventh page and blurs the ink on every third page. If he prints 42 pages, how many are neither crumpled or blurred?