Question

Madam Siti bought the same lengths of red and yellow ribbons. After she used 836 cm of the red ribbon, the length of the yellow ribbon was 5 times the length of the remaining red ribbon. What was the original total length of the two ribbons?

Answer 1

Red Ribbon (R); Yellow Ribbon (Y); Remaining red ribbon (Z)

R = 836 + Z                      ------------------>Eq 1

Y = 5Z                              ------------------>Eq 2

R = Y (Because both  the ribbons are of same length) ---------------------> Eq 3

Hence, R = 5Z

As per Eq 1 & 3,

5Z = 836 + Z

5Z - Z = 836

4Z = 836

Z = 836 / 4 = 209

Now we got R, Y & Z,

R = 836 + Z = 836 + 209 =  1045

Y = 5Z = 5 x 209 = 1045

Original total length of the two ribbons = R + Y

= 1045 + 1045 = 2090 cm