In Sivakasi, each boy’s quota of match sticks to fill into boxes is not more than 200 per session. If he reduces the number of sticks per box by 25, he can fill 3 more boxes with the total number of sticks assigned to him. Which of the following is the possible number of sticks assigned to each boy?
Explanation:
Let x be the total number of sticks assigned to each boy and y be the number of boxes in which he has to fill them. If he reduces number of sticks per box by 25, he would fill (x/y - 25) in each box and hence he would now fill (y + 3) boxes.
∴ x = (x/y - 25)(y + 3) = x + 3x/y - 25y - 75.
⇒ 3x = (25y + 75)y
⇒ x = (25y2+75y)3=25y(y+3)3
For x to have an integer value, y(y + 3) has to be a multiple of 3. This is possible only when y is a multiple of 3.
Subsequently, (y + 3) will be a multiple of 3.
Therefore, 25y(y + 3)/3 = x will be a multiple of 3.
Hence, option (b).
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