A man purchased $510 worth savings bonds in denominations of $15 and $30, including at least 1 of each denomination. He gave away 8 of the bonds as gifts but then lost all the rest of the bonds he had purchased. If the number of $30 bonds he gave away was a multiple of the number of $15 bonds he gave away, what was maximum possible value of the bonds that he lost?
If t = 5 and f = 3, 5 + 3 = 8 but 5 is not a multiple of 3, so this is not possible. Also, if t is less than 4, f must be greater than 4, so t could not be a multiple of f.
So, the largest possible value of f is 4. In this case, t is also 4, and the amount given away will be $30t + $15f = ($30 x 4) + ($15 x 4) = $120 + $60 = $180. If he gave away $180, then he must have lost $510 – $180 = $330, which is choice (E).
Note the trap answers: (A) represents the minimum he could have given away; (B) represents the amount lost if f = 1; and (C) represents the amount lost if f = 2.
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