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Cupcake Colors

Solution

Red: 4
White: 2
Blue: 3

Explanation

Step 1

Think: What combinations of 3 numbers can add up to 9?

Clue #1: They made 1 fewer blue cupcake than red ones. One number must be 1 less than another number in the combination.

4 + 5 + 0 (not possible, because there must be some that are a third color)
3 + 4 + 2 (possible, because 3 is 1 less than 4)
1 + 4 + 4 (not possible, because no number is 1 less than another number)

Clue #2: There were twice as many red cupcakes as white cupcakes.

3 + 4 + 2 (possible, because 2 doubled is 4)

Step 2
Use the clues to match the colors to the numbers.

• They made 1 fewer blue cupcake than red cupcakes.
  There must be 3 blue cupcakes and 4 red ones.
• They made twice as many red cupcakes as white cupcakes.
  If there are 4 red cupcakes, there must be 2 white cupcakes.