- Ed, Mark, Mary, Ana, and Alexa are among the 20 children lining up to ride the school bus. What is the position of each child in the line? Write your answer in the second column. Situation Ed is in front of the line. Mark is the last child. Alexa is behind Ed. Position in the line Mary is the 5th child from Mark. Ana is the 3rd child from Alexa.
Answer (1)
1. Ed is in front of the line.→ So Ed is in position 1.2. Mark is the last child.→ There are 20 children, so Mark is in position 20.3. Alexa is behind Ed.→ Since Ed is in position 1, Alexa must be in a position greater than 1 (e.g., position 2 or later). But we don’t yet know exactly where Alexa is.4. Mary is the 5th child from Mark.→ That means she is 5 positions ahead of Mark (Mark is 20). So,→ Mary is in position 20 - 5 + 1 = 16.5. Ana is the 3rd child from Alexa.→ That means Ana is 3 children ahead of Alexa in line. So if Alexa is in position x, Ana is in position x - 3.
