I’d like to order 5 halves of a cupcake for
my family plus some extra for my 2 friends.
They’ll each want a quarter of a cupcake.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
To solve this problem, we need to determine how many full cupcakes are required for everyone involved based on the fractions provided.
Step-by-step breakdown:
- For Your Family (5 halves of a cupcake):
You want to order 5 halves of a cupcake. A half cupcake is 1/2, so 5 halves equals: [
5 \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{5}{2} = 2.5 \text{ cupcakes}.
] - For Your Two Friends (each wants a quarter of a cupcake):
You have 2 friends, and each of them wants a quarter of a cupcake. A quarter is 1/4, so for 2 friends, we need: [
2 \times \frac{1}{4} = \frac{2}{4} = \frac{1}{2} \text{ cupcakes}.
] - Total Number of Cupcakes:
Now, we combine the cupcakes for your family (2.5 cupcakes) and your friends (0.5 cupcakes): [
2.5 \text{ cupcakes} + 0.5 \text{ cupcakes} = 3 \text{ cupcakes}.
]
Conclusion:
You will need to order 3 full cupcakes to satisfy everyone’s needs.
Explanation:
This problem uses fractions to express the amounts of cupcakes needed. For your family, each person is getting a half cupcake, which when combined gives 2.5 cupcakes. Your friends, wanting a quarter of a cupcake each, contribute 0.5 cupcakes. Adding these gives a total of 3 cupcakes.
The key to solving this problem is adding fractions correctly. In this case, we used halves and quarters, and the sum of these fractions gives the total amount of cupcakes needed. When working with fractions, it’s important to ensure you’re adding them correctly and converting between fractions and whole numbers as necessary. For instance, 5 halves equal 2.5 cupcakes, which is equivalent to 2 full cupcakes and half of another one. Similarly, when dealing with quarters, it’s crucial to convert them to a common denominator if necessary, though in this case, quarters and halves easily combine without needing a common denominator.
Thus, ordering 3 full cupcakes will ensure everyone gets their share.