The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is 2 cupcakes.
To determine the total number of cupcakes needed, the order must be broken down into two parts: the amount for the family and the amount for the friends. By calculating each part separately and then adding them together, we can find the final quantity.
First, let’s address the family’s portion of the order. The request is for “3 halves of a cupcake.” Mathematically, this translates to multiplying the number 3 by the fraction for a half, which is 1/2. The calculation is 3 times 1/2, which equals 3/2, or three halves. As a mixed number, 3/2 is equivalent to one and a half. As a decimal, it is 1.5. So, the family needs one and a half cupcakes to satisfy their request. This means one whole cupcake and an additional half of another cupcake are required for them.
Next, we calculate the portion for the two friends. The instructions state, “They’ll each want a quarter of a cupcake.” Since there are two friends, and each friend wants one quarter (1/4), we need to multiply 2 by 1/4. This calculation gives us a result of 2/4, or two quarters. The fraction 2/4 can be simplified to its lowest terms, which is 1/2, or one half. In decimal form, this is 0.5. Therefore, the two friends together require a total of half a cupcake.
To find the grand total for the entire order, we combine the family’s share and the friends’ share. We add the one and a half cupcakes (1.5) for the family to the half cupcake (0.5) for the friends. The sum of 1.5 and 0.5 is 2. The entire order, therefore, amounts to exactly two whole cupcakes. The final sentence, “Make it godofAPEX,” seems to be a username or a special request for personalization and does not affect the mathematical calculation of how many cupcakes are needed.
