Teachers’ Workshop

Tackling Challenging Sums

In a Different Way

Ammiel Wan
Catholic High School (Pri)
wan_chee_hong_ammiel@moe.edu.sg
Internal Transfer Constant
(Total the same) Difference
(Difference
the same)

External Transfer Equal Fraction

(one unchanged) (Numerator same)

Fractions
Whole Numbers
Ratio
Percentage

External Transfer Three Party

(Quantity changed) (Repeating Party)

Remainder Fraction No. x Value

(Remainder/left over) (Proportion)

Pattern
(Number Sequence)
Equal Fractions
Concept: Make numerator the same: LCM
1. There are 25 more boys than girls in a class. of the
boys and of the girls wear glasses. Given that the
number of boys and girls who do not wear glasses is
the same, find the number of boys who wear glasses.

of the boys of the girls

of the boys of the girls

Difference : 5 units = 25
1 unit = 5
Boys who wear glasses = 6 units x 5
= 30

Three Party
Concept: Make the repeating party the same
2. The ratio of Amy’s to Ben’s marbles is 3:2. The ratio of
Ben’s to Charles’ marbles is 5:6. If the three of them
 have a total of 74 marbles, how many more marbles
does Amy have more than Charles?

Amy : Ben 3:2 = 15:10

Ben : Charles 5:6 = 10:12
Amy : Ben : Charles 15 :10 : 12

Total units : 37 units = 74

1 unit = 2
Difference between Amy and Charles = 3 units x 2
= 6 marbles.

3. S1, S2 and S3 are three squares not drawn to scale.

The area of S1 is 25% that of S2, while the area of S2
is 64% that of S3. What is the ratio of area S1 to S2 to
S3? Express your answer in its simplest form. (adapted
from Ai Tong SA1, 2003)
(4:16:25)

S1

S2

S3

Remainder Fractions
Concept: Branch Method/ Final Fractions
4. Alice spent of his money on tennis balls and of his
remaining money on 2 tennis rackets. Each racket cost
 12 times as much as a tennis ball. How many tennis
balls did he buy?

= (balls)
Total amt x = (rackets)

x = (left)

2 rackets = 24 units
1 racket(12 balls) = 12 units
1 ball = 1 unit
= 9 units = 9 balls

Internal transfer
Concept: Total Units Remain the Same: LCM
5. Tom has as many marbles as Susan. After Tom
received 12 marbles from Susan, Susan now has 1
times as many marbles as Tom. How many marbles
does each of them have at first?

At first Tom : 1 unit 5 units

Susan : 3 units 15 units
 In the end Tom : 2 units 8 units
Susan : 3 units 12 units

Transfer of 3 units = 12 marbles

1 unit = 4 marbles
Tom at first: 5 units x 4 = 20 marbles
Susan at first: 15 units x 4 = 60 marbles

Activity 1
If Alan gives 30 marbles to Lily, he will have as many marbles
as Lily. If Lily gives 50 marbles to Alan, Lily will have as many
marbles as Alan. How many marbles does each of them
have?
 Break

External Transfer with Unchanged Quantity

Concept: Make units of unchanged quantity the same
6. At a party, the ratio of men to women was 3:2. After 60
men left the party, the ratio became 4:3. How many
men were there at first?

Before Men : Women = 3:2 9:6

After Men : Women = 4:3 8 :6

Decrease in men: 1 unit = 60

Men at first : 9 units x 60 = 540

Constant Difference
Concept: Making the difference in units the same; equal
receiving/giving, age)
7. Two years ago, Thomson was 24 years older than his
niece, who was 3 yaers old. When will Thomson be 4
times as old as his niece?

Future
Thomson
Niece 24 years

3 = 24 years
= 8 years (niece’s age in the future)

No. of years taken = 8 – 3 – 2

= 3 years

8. Ali and Ben shared a sum of money in the ratio 5:7.

After receiving $15 each from their father, the ratio
becomes 3:4. Find the amount of money each had at
first. (Ali- $75, Ben - $105)

Activity 2
Ali has as many marbles as Ben. After Ali bought another 40
marbles and Ben bought another 20 marbles, the fraction
becomes . What was their total marbles at first?

External transfer With Changed Quantity

Concept: Sakamoto Method (Modified)
9. At first, Dean had as many cartoon cards as Eric. After
Dean bought another 8 cartoon cards and Eric lost 5
cartoon cards, Dean now has as many cartoon cards as
Eric. Find the number of cartoon cards Dean had at
first. (12)

Dean Eric

2u 5u

+8 –5

4 : 5
10. There are 45 more egg tarts than fruit tarts. After of the
egg tarts and of the fruit tarts are sold, there are 90
tarts left. How many egg tarts were sold?
egg tarts + fruit tarts 90
Number x Value
Concept: Alternative to Guess and Check, proportion
given
11. A goldfish cost 412. An angelfish cost 25% less. Mr Lim
paid $63 for some goldfish and angelfish. 60% of the
fishes he bought were angelfish.
(a) How many fish did he but altogether?
(b) How much more money did he spend on goldfish
than angelfish?

No. of Fishes Value Total Cost

12. I have some twenty-cent coins and fifty-cent coins in
the ratio 4:3. Given that all the coins add up to $46, how
many fifty-cent coins do I have? (60 coins)

Pattern
Concept : Comparing between rows and columns
13. The following is made up of dots and sticks /.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure No. 1 2 3
No. of Sticks 3 8 18
No. of Dots 3 6 10
No. of Triangles 1 9

Useful Links

1 + 4 + 9 +….. (Square Nos)

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + ….last digit
(Sum of consecutive nos)

Notes
Notes