Can anybody help me with this

Question

Group A and Group B are working on a project. Group B has 3 more people than Group A. 18 people were taken from Group B. The remaining people in group B is 5/8 of that of group A.

(a) How many people were there in Group A?

(b) How many people were there altogether in the beginning?

Answer 1

B = A + 3 (B has 3 more than A)

B - 18 = (5/8)A (after 18 removed from B the result has 5/8 of number in A)

8B - 144 = 5A (multiply every term by 8 to clear the fraction)

8(A + 3) - 144 = 5A (substitute the equivalent expression for B in terms of A from 1st equation)

8A + 24 - 144 = 5A

3A = 120

A = 40

B = 43

Total number at beginning 83.

Check:

Reduce B by 18; B now has 25.

5/8 of 40 is 25.