Larry began reading a 392-page novel on Sunday and finished it the following Saturday. Each day after the first Larry read 12 pages more than he did the previous day. How many pages did Larry read on Sunday?

Rationale

Larry read 20 pages on Sunday.

To find out how many pages Larry read on Sunday, we can set up a sequence where he reads 12 pages more each subsequent day. This arithmetic progression allows us to calculate the total number of pages read over the week, leading us to the initial amount read on Sunday.

A (20) CORRECT

If Larry read 20 pages on Sunday, then he would read 32 pages on Monday, 44 pages on Tuesday, 56 pages on Wednesday, 68 pages on Thursday, 80 pages on Friday, and 92 pages on Saturday. Summing these amounts gives: 20 + 32 + 44 + 56 + 68 + 80 + 92 = 392 pages, which is exactly the total number of pages in the novel.

B (22) YOUR ANSWER

If Larry read 22 pages on Sunday, his daily readings would be 34, 46, 58, 70, 82, and 94 pages on the following days. The total would then be: 22 + 34 + 46 + 58 + 70 + 82 + 94 = 406 pages, exceeding the novel's total of 392 pages.

C (24) YOUR ANSWER

Starting with 24 pages on Sunday leads to readings of 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, and 96 pages throughout the week. The total would be 24 + 36 + 48 + 60 + 72 + 84 + 96 = 420 pages, which again surpasses the 392-page limit.

D (26) YOUR ANSWER

If Larry began with 26 pages, he would read 38, 50, 62, 74, 86, and 98 pages in subsequent days. This results in a total of 26 + 38 + 50 + 62 + 74 + 86 + 98 = 434 pages, also more than the novel's total.

E (28) YOUR ANSWER

Starting with 28 pages, the daily readings would be 40, 52, 64, 76, 88, and 100 pages. The sum would be 28 + 40 + 52 + 64 + 76 + 88 + 100 = 448 pages, which clearly exceeds the novel's page count.

Conclusion

Larry's reading pattern demonstrates how the arithmetic sequence of his daily readings must align with the total page count of the novel. By calculating the total for each initial value, we find that only starting with 20 pages on Sunday fits perfectly, confirming the answer. Thus, 20 pages read on Sunday is the only feasible solution that results in the correct cumulative total of 392 pages.

Larry began reading a 392-page novel on Sunday and finished it the following Saturday. Each day after the first Larry read 12 pages more than he did the previous day. How many pages did Larry read on Sunday?

Larry read 20 pages on Sunday.

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