An easy question on remainders for P3–P4, with a step-by-step solution, diagrams and the answer. Common in the Hua Xia Cup's P3 to P6 papers; harder ones need several remainder conditions to hold at once.
The question
Mei shares a pack of stickers equally among 4 classmates.
Each gets 4, and some stickers are left over — not enough to give everyone one more.
What is the largest number of stickers the pack could have held?
Show the hints (2)
💡Hint 1: How many stickers can be left over at most? What if 4 were left?
💡Hint 2: First work out the stickers given out: 4 × 4.
Worked solution
Have a go first, then read the solution step by step.
1.Given out: 4 × 4 = 16.
2.What's left is not enough for one more each, so fewer than 4: at most 3.
3.At most: 16 + 3 = 19.
⚠️Common mistake: allowing 4 left over and answering 20 — with 4 left, everyone could have one more.
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