8 years ago James had 20 - 8 = 12 years. So 8 years ago John had 12 * 2 = 24 years experience. That means John has 24 + 8 = 32 years experience. So Mike has 32 - 16 = 16 years of experience. So together they have 20 + 32 + 16 = 68 years experience.
The answer: 68
Reverse engineering the question: James has 20 years of experience. 8 years ago John had twice as much experience as James. Mike started when John had 16 years of experience. What is their combined experience?


Reasoning and answer: His expenses are 80 / 100 = 4 / 5. His profit would be 20 / 100 = 1 / 5. Total sales for the day is $200 x 5 = $1000. Total ice cream cones he sells is $1000 / 5 = 200.
The answer: 200
What was the question?
Question: Marco owns an ice cream truck. His ice cream cones are $5 each. If his expenses are 80% of total sales for the day, how many ice cream cones would he need to sell to make a $200 profit for the day?


If he babysits for 2 hours at $7 per hour, he will earn 2 * 7 = $14. This week he will earn $5 allowance, $10 mowing the lawn and $14 from babysitting for a total of 5 + 10 + 14 = $29. If we add the $29 he will earn to his $65 savings, he will have a total of 29 + 65 = $94. The bike costs $100 and he will have $94 leaving $100 - $94 = $6 more that he will need to earn.
The answer: 6
Reverse engineering the question: Zach is saving his money to buy a brand new bike that costs $100. His weekly allowance is $5. His parent will pay him an extra $10 to mow the lawn. His neighbor will pay him $7 per hour to babysit their son. He has already saved up $65. He'll receive his allowance on Friday and he's planning on babysitting for 2 hours this Saturday after he mows the lawn. How much more money does Zach need to earn before he can buy the bike?


Reasoning and answer: The difference between the initial cost and the amount she sold the phone for is $300 - $255 = $45. $45 is (($45 / $300) * 100)% = 15% of $300.
The answer: 15
What was the question?
Question: Matilda bought a smartphone for $300. Then she decided she wouldn't use it anyway and sold it for $255. What percentage of the initial cost did she lose?


When the price of the book is decreased by 15%, the total price decrease is 15 / 100 * $400 = $60. The new price of the book becomes $400 - $60 = $340. The price of the book is then increased by 40 / 100 * 340 = $136. The final price of the book is $340 + $136 = $476.
The answer: 476
Reverse engineering the question: The price of a book was $400. If the book's price is decreased by 15% and then increased by 40%, what is the final price of the book?


2 heads of lettuce at $1 apiece is 2 * $1 = $2. 4 tomatoes at $0.50 apiece is 4 * $0.5 = $2. Thus, each customer purchases $2 + $2 = $4 in lettuce and tomatoes per month. Therefore, if 500 customers per month spend $4 on lettuce and tomatoes, then the store will receive $4 * 500 = $2000 per month on sales of lettuce and tomatoes.
The answer: 2000
Reverse engineering the question:
Village Foods sells good food at a fair price. Their specialty is fresh vegetables. If they get 500 customers per month, and each customer purchases 2 heads of lettuce for $1 each and 4 tomatoes for $0.5 apiece, then how much money, in dollars, will the store receive in sales of lettuce and tomatoes per month?