A baker is using a cookie recipe that calls for 3 ¼ cups of flour to yield 64 cookies. How much flour will the baker need to make 130 cookies using the same recipe?
A.
6 77/128 cups
B.
5 5/128 cups
C.
10 1/28 cups
D.
4 81/128 cups
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To determine how much flour is needed to make 130 cookies, given that the recipe requires 3 ¼ cups of flour to make 64 cookies, follow these steps:
- Determine the amount of flour needed per cookie:First, convert 3 ¼ cups of flour into an improper fraction:314=1343 \frac{1}{4} = \frac{13}{4}341=413Next, calculate the amount of flour needed per cookie:Flour per cookie=13464=134×64=13256\text{Flour per cookie} = \frac{\frac{13}{4}}{64} = \frac{13}{4 \times 64} = \frac{13}{256}Flour per cookie=64413=4×6413=25613
- Calculate the total amount of flour needed for 130 cookies:Multiply the flour needed per cookie by 130:Total flour needed=130×13256=130×13256\text{Total flour needed} = 130 \times \frac{13}{256} = \frac{130 \times 13}{256}Total flour needed=130×25613=256130×13 =1690256= \frac{1690}{256}=2561690To simplify this fraction, divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor.The greatest common divisor of 1690 and 256 is 2:1690÷2256÷2=845128\frac{1690 \div 2}{256 \div 2} = \frac{845}{128}256÷21690÷2=128845
- Convert the fraction to a mixed number:Divide 845 by 128:845÷128=6 remainder 77845 \div 128 = 6 \text{ remainder } 77845÷128=6 remainder 77Thus, 845128\frac{845}{128}128845 is equivalent to:6771286 \frac{77}{128}612877
So, the baker will need 6 77/128 cups of flour to make 130 cookies.
The correct answer is A. 6 77/128 cups.
Explanation:
By converting the recipe’s flour requirement into a per-cookie measurement and then scaling up to the desired number of cookies, you ensure that the proportion of ingredients remains consistent. This method maintains the integrity of the recipe’s flavor and texture, essential for baking consistency. The calculations involve converting measurements into fractions, multiplying to find total requirements, and then simplifying the result to ensure accuracy and ease of measurement.