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Ice-cream stalls — Stall A and Stall B
At a school fair, Stall A and Stall B both scoop ice-cream cups for customers. Stall A scoops 4 more cups per minute than Stall B. The two stalls start scooping at the same time. After 45 minutes, Stall A closes to restock its tubs, while Stall B carries on scooping alone for another 15 minutes. By the time Stall B stops, both stalls have scooped the same total number of cups. Stall B stopped scooping at 3:15 p.m.
- (a) At what time did the two stalls start scooping?
- (b) How many cups did both stalls scoop altogether?
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The pattern behind it: Same time, same distance
Two travellers spend the same time, or cover the same distance.
In this one. Stall A's lead from being 4 cups/min faster for the shared 45 minutes is exactly what Stall B must scoop during its extra 15 minutes.
How to spot it
Two travellers set off together or one chases another, with constant speeds and a question about who is ahead, when they meet, or how far apart they are.
Common mistake
Children divide the whole distance by the difference in speed instead of dividing the gap between the travellers, or compare distances covered over different lengths of time.
Try one like it
Standard Aladdin and Jasmine — the magic carpet race Aladdin and Jasmine were having a race on their magic flying carpets. They left the same starting point for the market at 13 00. B…The 33 problem patterns
All 33 patterns, one to a page — the 19 behind Primary 5 and 6 word problems, and the skills the younger years are built on. The bar model, how to spot it in the question, and the mistake children make. A booklet you can print. Free.
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