Fifty minutes ago it was four times as many minutes past three o'clock. How many minutes is it to six o'clock..?
I have got the solution online but have doubts in it :
There are 180 minutes between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Call x the number of minutes to 6 o'clock. Then it is 180 - x minutes past 3 o'clock and 50 minutes ago it was 130 - x minuted past 3 o'clock. Using the 4 times as many minutes past three o'clock bit we can form the equation 130 - x = 4x and solve it 130 = 5x x = 26 so yes it is 26 minutes. According to me :
How it is 4x in above equation , it should be 4(180-x) , and new equation should be 130-x = 4(180-x) , because it says that it was 4 times as many minutes past 3:00 PM.
please explain. according to the solution if it is 4x on the RHS of the equation , then according to me the question is wrong , and should be written as :
Fifty minutes ago it was four times as many minutes to 6 o'clock. $\endgroup$03 Answers
$\begingroup$The figure below may help explain (apologies for the sub-optimal formatting)

I think the question means $4$ times as many minutes to $6$ o' clock from now.
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it says
Fifty minutes ago it was four times as many minutes past three o'clock
IT means X
WAS means =
FOUR TIMES means 4 *
AS MANY MINS PAST 3 means 130-X
so equation becomes X=4*(130-X); X=104 mins
How many mins past 3 = 130-X=130-104= 26mins
example If a Father's age is 2 times the age of Son and Son's age is 30yrs. then the equation will be X = 2*30; X = 60yrs. Not 2X = 30; X = 15yrs.
Hope this explains the above question.
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