In a class of 80 students and 5 teachers, each student receives sweets equal to 15% of the total number of students and each teacher receives sweets equal to 25% of the total number of students. How many sweets were distributed in total?

Introduction / Context:
This problem deals with distribution of items (sweets) based on fixed percentages of a group size. It tests your understanding of how to apply percentages to a given base and then aggregate quantities for different subgroups. Such questions commonly appear in aptitude exams to assess your comfort with basic percentage calculations and multiplication.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The class has 80 students.
• There are 5 teachers.
• Each student gets sweets equal to 15% of the total number of students.
• Each teacher gets sweets equal to 25% of the total number of students.
• The total number of sweets distributed is required.
• We treat sweets as discrete items, but the calculations are done using percentage values of the student count.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is that the number of sweets per person is based on a percentage of the student count, not the total people count. First, we calculate how many sweets each student receives by taking 15% of 80. Then we multiply that by the number of students. Next, we calculate how many sweets each teacher receives by taking 25% of 80 and then multiplying by the number of teachers. Finally, we add the two totals to get the overall number of sweets distributed. This simple, sequential approach ensures accuracy.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Total number of students = 80.Step 2: Each student gets sweets equal to 15% of the total students, that is 15% of 80.Step 3: 15% of 80 = (15/100) * 80 = 12 sweets per student.Step 4: Total sweets for all students = 80 * 12 = 960 sweets.Step 5: Each teacher gets sweets equal to 25% of the total students, that is 25% of 80.Step 6: 25% of 80 = (25/100) * 80 = 20 sweets per teacher.Step 7: Total sweets for all teachers = 5 * 20 = 100 sweets.Step 8: Total sweets distributed = sweets for students + sweets for teachers = 960 + 100 = 1060 sweets.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a check, note that the total number of people is 85 (80 students plus 5 teachers), but the percentage bases are strictly the student count of 80. For students, 80 persons each getting 12 sweets clearly gives 960 sweets. For teachers, 5 persons each get 20 sweets, totalling 100 sweets. Adding these gives 1060. There is no other hidden condition or rounding involved, so the total 1060 is consistent and unique. A quick mental estimation also confirms the order of magnitude: around one thousand sweets, which matches the exact value we obtained.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 960 accounts only for the sweets given to students and ignores the sweets for teachers. Option 1020 would correspond to fewer sweets for teachers or incorrect percentage usage. Option 920 is even smaller and cannot be obtained by any logical calculation using the given percentages. Option 1000 is a rounded guess and does not match the exact arithmetic of 960 plus 100. Therefore, these options do not reflect the correct total distribution of sweets.

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is to take percentages of the total number of people (students plus teachers) instead of only students, which changes the base and results in wrong figures. Another error is to forget to multiply the per person sweets by the number of persons in each group. Some learners also confuse 15% and 25% as fractions like 1/15 or 1/25. To avoid these errors, always identify the correct base for the percentage and carefully multiply by the group size at the end.

Final Answer:
The total number of sweets distributed is 1060.