Question

A company made $4 million in the second quarter. This is 1/3 more than it made in the first quarter and 4/5 of what it made in the third quarter. How much did the company make in the three quarters combined?

Answer 1

Amount of profit made by the company in the second quarter = $4 million
Let us assume the amount of profit made in the first quarter = x
Also let us assume the amount of profit made in the third quarter = y
Amount of profit made by the company in the first quarter was 1/3 less than that made in the second quarter
Then
Amount of profit made in first quarter
3x = 4 million dollars
x = 4/3 million dollars
Amount of profit made in the third quarter
4y/5 = 4 million dollars
4y = 5 * 4 million dollars
4y = 20 million dollars
y = 5 million dollars
Then total amount of profit made in the three quarters = (4/3) + 4 + 5 million dollars
                                                                                       = (4 + 12 + 15)/3 million dollars
                                                                                       = (31/3) million dollars
                                                                                       = 10 1/3 million dollars
So the total profit made during the three quarters was 10 1/3 million dollars.