Answer:
157
Step-by-step explanation:
The number of jumps (p) in the positive direction will be the smallest integer value that satisfies ...
3 + 8/9p ≥ 60
8/9p ≥ 57 . . . . . . subtract 3
p ≥ 57(9/8)
p ≥ 64 1/8
The desired solution is p = 65. Then the final location in the positive direction is ...
3 + 65(8/9) = 60 7/9
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From there to the final position of -21 is a distance of ...
60 7/9 -(-21) = 81 7/9
The number of moves in the negative direction (n) is then ...
n = (81 7/9)/(8/9) = (736/9)/(8/9) = 736/8 = 92
So, the total number of moves is the number the positive direction added to the number in the negative direction:
moves = p + n = 65 + 92 = 157
The game piece took 157 jumps.