Question: Gretchen is a scuba diver. She likes to hunt for treasure on the ocean's floor, but when she finds something to keep, she must carry it back to the surface of the water to give it to her shipmate on the boat. She can only carry 3 objects at a time while she swims underwater. If she finds 17 objects underwater, what is the fewest number of trips to the surface of the water she must take to carry all 17 objects to the boat?
Answer: To carry 17 objects, three at a time, it takes 17 / 3 = 5 and 2 / 3 loads. This calculation means that she takes 5 trips carrying 3 objects per trip, and then she takes one additional trip carrying only two objects. Thus, in reality, she takes 5 + 1 = 6 trips to the surface. The answer is 6.

Question: Timmy plans to ride a skateboard ramp that is 50 feet high. He knows he needs to go 40 mph at the start to make it all the way to the top. He measures his speed on three trial runs and goes 36, 34, and 38 mph. How much faster does he have to go than his average speed to make it up the ramp?
Answer: His total speed from the trials is 108 because 36 + 34 + 38 = 108. His average speed was 36 mph because 108 / 3 = 36. He needs to go 4 mph faster to make it to the top because 40 - 36 = 4. The answer is 4.

Question: A store gives a 10% discount for the amount of the sell that was over $1000. John buys 7 items that each cost $200. What does his order cost after the discount?
Answer: His order came out to 7 * 200 = $1400. So there was 1400 - 1000 = $400 that qualified for the discount. So his discount saved 400 * .1 = $40. So his purchase came out to 1400 - 40 = $1360. The answer is 1360.

Question: John has 54 pieces of gum, Cole has 45 pieces of gum and Aubrey has no pieces of gum. They decide to share the gum equally between the 3 of them. How many pieces of gum will each one get?
Answer:
Total pieces of gum are 54 pieces + 45 pieces + 0 pieces = 99 pieces. When the pieces are shared equally amongst 3 people, each one gets 99 pieces / 3 people = 33 pieces / person. The answer is 33.