Reasoning and answer: Twice as much as Cecil's money is $600 x 2 = $1200. So, Catherine has $1200 - $250 = $950. While Carmela has $1200 + $50 = $1250. Hence, they have a total of $600 + $950 + $1250 = $2800.
The answer: 2800
What was the question?
Question: Cecil has $600. Catherine has $250 less than twice as much as Cecil while Carmela has $50 more than twice Cecil's money. How much money do they have altogether?


Jill starts off spending 5 minutes on the phone, and the following day she spends double that 5 minutes for 5 * 2 = 10 minutes. The following day Jill spends double the previous day's total of 10 minutes on the phone, for 10 * 2 = 20 minutes. On the fourth day, Jill spends double the previous day's total of 20 minutes on the phone, for 20 * 2 = 40 minutes. On the fifth and final day, Jill spends double the previous day's total of 40 minutes on the phone, for 40 * 2 = 80 minutes. All told, Jill spends 5 + 10 + 20 + 40 + 80 = 155 minutes on the phone over 5 days.
The answer: 155
Reverse engineering the question: Jill spends time every day talking to her boyfriend on the phone. The first day of the week she spends 5 minutes on the phone with her boyfriend. Each of the following days she spends twice as much time talking on the phone as the day before. After the 5th day her parents take the phone away from her because she was on it too long. How much time did Jill spend talking to her boyfriend that week?


Reasoning and answer: Sam completes a widget every 10 minutes. When Jack helps they finish 2 in 15 minutes. Sam has finished 1 widget and has begun working on another one, and Jack finishes the second one at 15 minutes. So it takes Jack 15 minutes to complete a widget. Sam worked for 6 hours yesterday, so he was able to complete 6 hours * 60 minutes per hour / 10 minutes per widget = 36 widgets. Jack worked for 4 hours, so he was able to complete 4 hours * 60 minutes per hour / 15 minutes per widget = 16 widgets. Sam, Jack, and Tony were able to complete 68 widgets together. So of those, Tony personally completed 68 widgets - 36 widgets - 16 widgets = 16 widgets. It took Tony 8 hours to complete those 16 widgets, so he takes 8 hours * 60 minutes per hour / 16 widgets = 30 minutes per widget.
The answer: 30
What was the question?
Question: Sam works at the Widget Factory, assembling Widgets. He can assemble 1 widget every 10 minutes. Jack from the loading dock can help assemble widgets when he doesn't have anything else to do. When he helps, they put together 2 complete widgets every 15 minutes. Recently the factory hired Tony to help assemble widgets. Being new to the job, he doesn't work as fast as Sam or Jack. Yesterday Sam worked for 6 hours before he had to leave work early for a dentist appointment. Jack was able to help out for 4 hours before he had to go back to the loading dock to unload a new shipment of widget materials. Tony worked the entire 8-hour shift. At the end of the day, they had completed 68 widgets. How long does it take Tony to assemble a Widget, in minutes?


Since there are 2 sets of 30 minutes in an hour, then in 8 hours there are 8 x 2 = 16 sets of 30 minutes. Hence, a machine that Sue oversees can produce 30 cans x 16 = 480 cans of soda in 8 hours.
The answer: 480
Reverse engineering the question: Sue works in a factory and every 30 minutes, a machine she oversees produces 30 cans of soda. How many cans of soda can one machine produce in 8 hours?


Reasoning and answer: First find the total difference in weight between the two people: 60 pounds - 40 pounds = 20 pounds. Then divide the weight difference by the weight of each rock to find the number of rocks need to even the weights: 20 pounds / 4 pound / rock = 5 rocks.
The answer: 5
What was the question?
Question: Jack, who weighs 60 pounds, wants to play on the see-saw with his cousin Anna, who weighs 40 pounds. How many 4-pound rocks does Jack need to hold to make their weights equal?


Reasoning and answer: First, we find their current point in time be realizing that 4 years is 4 sets of 12 months, meaning at that anniversary they will have been together 4 * 12 = 48 months. Then, we subtract their 6 month difference, finding they are at 48 - 6 = 42 months into their relationship. Since 2 years would be 2 * 12 = 24 months into the relationship. We take the larger number, 42, and subtract the smaller number, 24 to find the difference in months, meaning it is 42 - 24 = 18 months.
The answer: 18
What was the question?
Question:
In 6 months Bella and Bob will be celebrating their 4th anniversary. How many months ago did they celebrate their 2nd anniversary?