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Question P3 Working backwards

Today’s problem — free all day, every step. Every day has one.

find a starting time

An activity ended at 10:20 after 75 minutes. When did it start?

See all 5 steps

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About this method

Working backwards

You know how it ended. Undo each step, last one first.

In this one. Starting time is found by subtracting the elapsed duration from finishing time.

What you are toldonly the endleft$12Undo the spendingput the $18 backbefore12 + 18 = 30Undo the givinghalf had gone to Helenat first30 doubled = 60

How to spot it

The question gives the final amount after a sequence of changes and asks what the amount was 'at first' or 'to begin with'.

Common mistake

Children undo the steps in the same order they happened rather than in reverse, or forget that a percentage profit is added to the cost price, so the final price is 120% of it, not 100%.

Practise a similar question

Standard An activity ended at 14:10 after 50 minutes. When did it start?
More about Working backwards →
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