Question

I have to figure out how to do this problem. I don't have the slightest idea how to even begin it, so if you can lead me through it, step by step, I would be very grateful.

A woman is walking home with eggs in her bag. Suddenly, a car comes speeding towards her. She jumps out of the way, just in time, as the car was going to hit her. Though the woman is unhurt, every eggs is broken. She goes back to the store, where she asks for a refund.

The manager comes to her, asking how many eggs she has. Though she doesn't know how many she has, she does know how she packaged them. When she tried to put the eggs in groups of two, there was one egg left over. The same thing happened when she put them in groups of three, four, five, and six. But, when she puts them in groups of seven, they all fit perfectly.

Your task is to answer the manager's question. What can you figure out from this information about how many eggs the farmer had? Is there more than one possibility?

Answer 1

Look at multiples of 7. Which fit the criteria?

For instance,
14 doesn't work because it's divisible by 2.
21 doesn't work because in groups of 6, she'd have 3 left over.

Keep going.

Answer 2

That helps but I need a little more help than that...

Answer 3

You can't possibly have listed the first 20 or so multiples of 7 in this short time!

Answer 4

Well, the thing is, the problem says that only one eggs is left over, but, four has three extra, and five has one extra... I'm throughally confused...

Answer 5

Can anyone help?

Answer 6

Oh, nevermind. Found it. The answer is 721 eggs...