Jacob can eat 12 / 2 = 6 candies before crying. Lana can eat 6 - 3 = 3 candies before crying. Nellie, Jacob, and Lana all ate until they cried, so they ate 12 + 6 + 3 = 21 candies. Thus, there are 30 - 21 = 9 candies left in the bucket. After dividing the remaining candies equally, they will each get 9 / 3 = 3 sourball candies.
The answer: 3
Reverse engineering the question: Nellie can eat 12 sourball candies before crying. Jacob can only manage half of that number of candies, and Lana can only do three fewer than Jacob. They had a bucket of 30 candies, and all of them ate until they cried. If they divide the remaining candies in the bucket equally, how many sourball candies will they each get?


Reasoning and answer: First find the number of inches in each flight of stairs: 12 steps * 8 inches / step = 96 inches. Then find the net number of flights of stairs Jack went down: 6 flights - 3 flights = 3 flights. Then multiply than number by the number of inches per flight to find how many inches further down he is: 96 inches / flight * 3 flights = 288 inches. Then divide that number by 12 to find the number of feet down he is: 288 inches / 12 inches / foot = 24 feet.
The answer: 24
What was the question?
Question: Jack goes up three flights of stairs, then down six flights of stairs. If each flight of stairs has 12 steps that each each 8 inches high, how many feet further down is Jack than when he started?


Gina's mom received 1 / 4 x $400 = $100. She used 1 / 8 x $400 = $50 to buy clothes. She gave 1 / 5 x $400 = $80 to a charity. Thus, she spent a total of $100 + $50 + $80 = $230. Therefore, Gina kept $400 - $230 = $170.
The answer: 170
Reverse engineering the question: Gina had $400. She gave 1/4 of her money to her mom, used 1/8 of her money to buy clothes, gave 1/5 of her money to a charity, and kept the remaining money. How much did Gina keep?


Reasoning and answer: If the magnet cost 3 - times more than the sticker, the sticker cost 3 / 1 = 1 dollar. If the magnet cost 1 / 4 the price of the two stuffed animals combined, then two stuffed animals cost 3 * 4 = 12 dollars. Thus, a single stuffed animal cost 12 / 2 = 6 dollars.
The answer: 6
What was the question?
Question: At a garage sale, Tish bought 4 items: a red horseshoe magnet, two stuffed animals, and a large sticker which read, "Why can't teachers solve their own math problems?" The magnet cost three times more than the sticker, but only one quarter the price of the two stuffed animals combined. If the Magnet cost $3, how much, in dollars, did a single stuffed animal cost?


Let S be the amount Alexis paid for the shoes. She spent S + 30 + 46 + 38 + 11 + 18 = S + 143. She used all but $16 of her budget, so S + 143 = 200 - 16 = 184. Thus, Alexis paid S = 184 - 143 = $41 for the shoes.
The answer: 41
Reverse engineering the question: Alexis is applying for a new job and bought a new set of business clothes to wear to the interview. She went to a department store with a budget of $200 and spent $30 on a button-up shirt, $46 on suit pants, $38 on a suit coat, $11 on socks, and $18 on a belt. She also purchased a pair of shoes, but lost the receipt for them. She has $16 left from her budget. How much did Alexis pay for the shoes?


The second tank is 48 / 2 = 24 gallons. Following her rule, Gail keeps 24 / 2 = 12 two - inch fish in the second tank. She keeps 48 / 3 = 16 fish in the first tank. If one fish in the first tank ate another, she would have 16 - 1 = 15 fish in the first tank. Thus, Gail would have 15 - 12 = 3 more fish in the first tank.
The answer: 3
Reverse engineering the question:
Gail has two fish tanks. The first tank is twice the size of the second tank. There are 48 gallons of water in the first tank. She follows the rule of one gallon of water per inch of fish. If she keeps two-inch fish in the second tank and three-inch fish in the first tank, how many more fish would Gail have in the first tank than the second tank if one of the first tank fish eats another?