Explain simply why 5 is the correct answer to: Alex has 2 cakes that are each cut into 8 slices. A fourth of the slices are given away to his friends. A third of the remaining slices are given away to his family. Alex eats 3 slices. How many slices of the cake are left?. Explanation:
There are 2 * 8 = 16 slices of cake. There are 16 / 4 = 4 slices. There are 16 - 4 = 12 slices left. There are 12 / 3 = 4 slices given away. There are 12 - 4 - 3 = 5 slices of cake left.