The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is 4.
The solution to this puzzle requires careful mathematical calculation based on the text provided in the image. The message is a word problem disguised as a special order for cupcakes. To find the total number of cupcakes needed, the order must be broken down into two separate parts: the portion for the family and the portion for the friends.
First, let’s analyze the order for the family. The request is for “7 halves of a cupcake.” Mathematically, one half is represented as the fraction 1/2. Therefore, seven halves is equivalent to multiplying 7 by 1/2, which gives us the fraction 7/2. When converted to a mixed number or a decimal, 7/2 is equal to three and one half, or 3.5. This means the family’s portion of the order requires a total of 3.5 cupcakes. Thinking about it practically, six of these halves would form three whole cupcakes, with one additional half left over.
Next, we must calculate the amount needed for the two friends. The text states, “They’ll each want a quarter of a cupcake.” A quarter is represented as the fraction 1/4. Since there are two friends and each wants a quarter, we multiply 2 by 1/4. This calculation results in the fraction 2/4. The fraction 2/4 can be simplified to 1/2, which is equivalent to 0.5 in decimal form. So, an additional half of a cupcake is needed to satisfy the request for the two friends.
To determine the final answer, we simply add the two calculated amounts together. We combine the family’s 3.5 cupcakes with the friends’ 0.5 cupcakes. The sum of 3.5 and 0.5 is exactly 4. Therefore, the total number of cupcakes to be prepared is four. The final line, “Make it Nimble,” is a classic element of a riddle, intended to be a playful misdirection or an irrelevant instruction that does not impact the mathematical logic of the problem itself. The core of the puzzle is the arithmetic.
