Inheritance sharing with fractional conditions: A man left 1/7 of his property to his daughter and the remainder to be shared equally among his sons. If each son’s share equals twice the daughter’s share, how many sons are there?
Aptitude
Decimal Fraction
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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A2
-
B3
-
C6
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D4
Answer
Correct Answer: 3
Explanation
Introduction / Context:This is an algebraic sharing problem using fractions. The property is split such that the daughter receives a fixed fraction, and the rest is divided equally among sons. A proportional condition links the son’s share to the daughter’s share, allowing us to determine the number of sons.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Daughter’s share = 1/7 of the total property.
- Remaining property = 1 − 1/7 = 6/7.
- Each son’s share is twice the daughter’s share, i.e., 2 × (1/7) = 2/7.
- There are n sons sharing 6/7 equally.
Concept / Approach:Set up the equality: (each son’s share) = (total remainder)/(number of sons). Because each son’s share is given to be 2/7, we can solve for n directly. This is a single-step proportion problem once the remainder is computed.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Remainder after daughter = 6/7.If n sons share equally, each gets (6/7)/n.Given each son’s share = 2/7, set (6/7)/n = 2/7.Solve: 6/(7n) = 2/7 ⇒ cross-multiply ⇒ 6 = 2n ⇒ n = 3.Verification / Alternative check:
With 3 sons, each gets (6/7)/3 = 2/7, which indeed is twice 1/7.Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 2 or 4 or 6: Do not satisfy (6/7)/n = 2/7.
Common Pitfalls:
- Forgetting to compute the remainder 6/7 before dividing among sons.
- Misreading “twice the daughter’s share” as “two times the number of daughters” or similar.
Final Answer:
3