White Board Markers

Pro Problems > Math > Algebra > Equations > Word Problems > Linear

White Board Markers

I have a problem with dry erase markers disappearing from my classroom. A third of my markers were stolen by a student, and then one of my co-workers "borrowed" four markers. After that I realized that half of the remaining markers didn't work, so I threw them away.

In the end, I just had two markers left.

How many did I start with?

Presentation mode

Problem by Mr. Twitchell

Solution

In order to make it feasible for teachers to use these problems in their classwork, no solutions are publicly visible, so students cannot simply look up the answers. If you would like to view the solutions to these problems, you must have a Virtual Classroom subscription.

Assign this problem

Click here to assign this problem to your students.

Similar Problems

Snake in the Grass

Two snakes started out the same length. The first snake grew five inches, and the second grew by half its own length. If the first snake is now two inches shorter than the second snake, what was the original length of the two snakes?

Until New Years Day

The number of seconds until New Years Day (when the ball drops at Midnight) is equal to the number of hours since the last time the ball dropped. Assuming a non-leap-year, what is the current date and time, to the nearest minute?

Three Numbers

I have a sheet of paper with three integers written on it. If I add them together, I have a sum of 38.

Two of the numbers differ by one. One of the three numbers is 11.

What is the largest possible integer that could be written on the paper?

Find the Number

The sum of a number and twice that number is 20% more than the result would have been if the number had been increased by 12 and then doubled. What is the number?

Giant Roller Coaster

An amusement park has an enormous roller coaster with 48 roller coaster cars, each of which was carrying the same number of people. Six of the cars were removed from the coaster, and each of the remaining cars had to carry one extra person. How many people were there on the roller coaster?

Yards and Feet

The height of a building measured in feet is 196 more than its height measured in yards. What is the height of the building in feet?

Melting Snow

The day after a snowstorm, 25% of the snow that fell melted. Then there was another snowstorm in which twice as much snow fell as in the first storm. Then 25% of the total remaining snow on the ground melted, leaving 33 inches. How much snow fell in the first storm?