Dividing the Estate

In this puzzle, submitted by Bernard Montaron, we invite you to figure out how to divide up an estate as specified in the will.

The owner of a small automobile rental company died recently, leaving a will that specified how the fleet should be divided among the three children:

1/2 the cars go to the eldest
1/3 go to the middle child
1/9 go to the youngest

There were 17 cars in the rental fleet. The children had trouble figuring out how to divide things in the manner specified in the will, so they called in a lawyer, who, after a brief meeting, came up with the perfect solution. What do you think the lawyer proposed?

Course:

Math [1]

Result/Solution(s)

The lawyer drove to the meeting and upon looking at the situation offered to add her own car to the estate.

Then she proposed to divide up the fleet, now totaling 18 cars, as follows:

Eldest got 1/2 of 18 = 9 cars
Middle child got 1/3 of 18 = 6 cars
Youngest got 1/9 of 18 = 2 cars

This totals 17 cars, so the lawyer took back her own car and drove home, leaving everyone happy with the settlement.

Arithmetic Puzzle [2]