[Guest]

The streets are paved with gold!

Sam found $4. adding the $4 together with the money he had before his luck, he now has five times the amount he would have had if he had lost $4.

How much money did Sam have before he found the $4?

[Guest]

The streets are paved with gold!

Sam found $4. adding the $4 together with the money he had before his luck, he now has five times the amount he would have had if he had lost $4.

How much money did Sam have before he found the $4?

$6

Let Sam had $x b4 his luck.

Then we have x+4=5*(x-4). Solving for x yields 6.

[Guest]

Here it goes

6$

[Guest]

Let's say Sam had x dollars before finding the $4.

x+4=5*(x-4)

x+4=5x-20

24=4x

x=6

Sam had $6 before finding the extra $4.

[Guest]

The streets are paved with gold!

Sam found $4. adding the $4 together with the money he had before his luck, he now has five times the amount he would have had if he had lost $4.

How much money did Sam have before he found the $4?

Seems a little simple for your puzzle, as everyone shows $6 and the proof.

Only trick I can see is if its about losing $4, and us judging its prior to finding the four. If losing the four dollars is after find the four than the answer is 5

Proof:

x = 5(x-4)

x = 5x - 20

4x = 20

x = 5

But I will stick with 6 as the right answer, since this just wouldn't really fit the way the sentence is said.

Edited April 17, 2008 by PolishNorbi

[Nikyma]

The streets are paved with gold!

Sam found $4. adding the $4 together with the money he had before his luck, he now has five times the amount he would have had if he had lost $4.

How much money did Sam have before he found the $4?

$6.00

[Guest]

let x = what he had initially

so 4 + x = 5 (x - 4)

4x = 20

x = 6

He had $6 initially

Edited April 18, 2008 by woon