Reasoning and answer: There are 50 reps and they will work 8 hour days so that's 50 * 8 = 400 hours. They will work 5 days a week so that's 5 * 400 = 2,000 hours. Each worker will be paid $14.00 an hour and in 5 days they will have worked 2,000 hours so that's 14 * 2000 = $28,000.
The answer: 28000
What was the question?
Question: A retail store wants to hire 50 new phone reps to assist with the increased call volume that they will experience over the holiday. Each phone rep will work 8 hours a day and will be paid $14.00 an hour. After 5 days, how much will the company pay all 50 new employees?


Maci pays 10 * $0.10 = $1 for the blue pens. Each red pen costs 2 * $0.10 = $0.20. She pays 15 * $0.20 = $3.00 for the red pens. To buy all the pens she needs, Maci pays $3 + $1 = $4.
The answer: 4
Reverse engineering the question: Maci is planning for the new school year and goes to the store to buy pens. She needs ten blue pens and 15 red pens. If a blue pen costs ten cents each and a red pen costs twice as much as the blue pen, how much money does Maci pay for the pens?


Reasoning and answer: First find the total number of rings in a ring group: 2 rings + 4 rings = 6 rings. Then subtract the number of ring groups in the second tree from the number in the first tree to find the difference: 70 groups - 40 groups = 30 groups. Then multiply that number by the number of rings in a group to find the difference in the trees' ages: 30 groups * 6 rings / group = 180 rings, or 180 years.
The answer: 180
What was the question?
Question: Billy is counting the rings in two trees. Weather fluctuations in this area mean that each tree's rings are in groups of two fat rings and four thin rings. If Billy counts 70 ring groups in the first tree and 40 ring groups in the second tree, how much older is the first tree? (Trees grow 1 ring per year.)


Before the market opened, Paul sold 12 + 25 = 37 chickens. So he had 80 - 37 = 43 chickens left to sell at the market.
The answer: 43
Reverse engineering the question: Paul is a chicken trader. One week he had 80 chickens in total to sell at the market. Before he left the farm, he sold his neighbor 12 chickens. At the gate, before the market opens, he got a quick customer and sold another 25 chickens. How many chickens was Paul left with to sell at the market?


Reasoning and answer: John starts with 100ft of rope that he cuts in half, meaning he has 100 / 2 = 50 - foot sections of rope. He then takes one of these sections and cuts it in half again, leaving him with two 50 / 2 = 25 - foot sections of rope. He then takes one of these sections and cuts it into fifths, leaving him with 25 / 5 = 5 foot sections of rope, one of which he is now holding.
The answer: 5
What was the question?
Question: Josh has 100 feet of rope. He cuts the rope in half, and then takes one of the halves and cuts it in half again. He grabs one of the remaining pieces and cuts it into fifths. He's stuck holding one length of the rope he's most recently cut. How long is it?


Reasoning and answer: Roberto skips 70 times per minute because 4,200 / 60 = 70. Together they skip 150 times a minute. They will skip 2,250 times because 150 x 15 = 2,250.
The answer: 2250
What was the question?
Question:
Roberto and Valerie are jumping rope at recess. Roberto can skip 4,200 times an hour. Valerie can skip 80 times a minute. If they jump rope for fifteen minutes straight, how many skips will they total?