A metric ton is 35,273.92 ounces. Write a C++ program that will read the weight of a package of breakfast cereal in ounces and output the weight in metric tons as well as the number of boxes needed to yield one metric ton of cereal.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
✅ C++ Program:
cppCopyEdit#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
const double METRIC_TON_IN_OUNCES = 35273.92;
double cerealOunces;
cout << "Enter the weight of the cereal package in ounces: ";
cin >> cerealOunces;
// Convert to metric tons
double weightInTons = cerealOunces / METRIC_TON_IN_OUNCES;
// Calculate number of boxes needed to make one metric ton
double boxesNeeded = METRIC_TON_IN_OUNCES / cerealOunces;
cout << "Weight in metric tons: " << weightInTons << endl;
cout << "Boxes needed to make one metric ton: " << boxesNeeded << endl;
return 0;
}
📘 Explanation (Textbook-style, ~300 words):
In this program, we are working with two different units of mass: ounces and metric tons. A metric ton is a unit of mass commonly used in most countries outside the United States and is equal to 1,000 kilograms, or 35,273.92 ounces. On the other hand, ounces are typically used in the United States, particularly for smaller weights, such as that of food products like breakfast cereal.
The goal of the program is to allow the user to input the weight of a single box of cereal in ounces. The program then converts that weight into metric tons and determines how many such boxes would be needed to accumulate exactly one metric ton of cereal.
To achieve this, we first define a constant value for the number of ounces in a metric ton. This value remains fixed and is declared using the const keyword for clarity and safety. The user is then prompted to enter the weight of the cereal box in ounces.
Using a simple division operation, the program calculates the weight in metric tons by dividing the input ounces by the number of ounces in a metric ton. Next, to determine how many boxes are required to reach one metric ton, the program divides the metric ton value in ounces by the user’s input weight.
Both results are then displayed to the user using cout. This small program demonstrates basic concepts in C++ such as input/output, arithmetic operations, constants, and meaningful application in unit conversion and real-world scenarios.
