Daily Math Puzzle: 2026-07-26
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2026-07-26
A wildlife sanctuary prepares a special formula for its young orphaned bear cubs. A batch of this formula, when fed at the standard rate, is sufficient to feed 8 cubs for 12 days. Due to a new intake, the sanctuary now has 12 cubs. To ensure all cubs receive adequate nutrition, the sanctuary decides to increase the daily feeding amount for *each* cub by 25% from the standard rate. Assuming they prepare an identical batch of formula, for how many days will this batch now last for the 12 cubs?
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Solution
6.4 days — Let's first determine the total 'standard cub-day portions' contained in one batch of formula. If 8 cubs are fed for 12 days at the standard rate, the total amount of formula is equivalent to 8 cubs × 12 days = 96 'standard cub-day portions'.
Next, we address the new situation: The sanctuary now has 12 cubs. The daily feeding amount for *each* cub is increased by 25%. This means each cub now consumes 1 + 0.25 = 1.25 times the standard daily portion.
So, the total daily consumption for all 12 cubs will be: 12 cubs × 1.25 standard portions/cub/day = 15 standard portions per day.
To find out how many days the identical batch of 96 standard cub-day portions will last for the 12 cubs at their new, increased feeding rate, we divide the total available portions by the new total daily consumption:
Days = 96 standard cub-day portions / 15 standard portions/day = 6.4 days.
The trick often lies in correctly combining both changes: the increase in the number of cubs AND the increase in the individual feeding rate per cub.
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