The 5-gallon bucket of paint that Kenzie bought from the hardware store weighs 55 pounds. CJ is buying 1 gallon of paint. How many pounds does 1 gallon of paint weigh?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
To find out how many pounds 1 gallon of paint weighs, we need to use simple division.
Step 1: Understand the total weight of the paint
Kenzie bought a 5-gallon bucket of paint that weighs 55 pounds. This means that the weight of the paint is distributed equally across all 5 gallons.
Step 2: Divide the total weight by the number of gallons
We want to find out how much 1 gallon of paint weighs, so we divide the total weight (55 pounds) by the number of gallons (5). Weight of 1 gallon of paint=55 pounds5 gallons=11 pounds per gallon\text{Weight of 1 gallon of paint} = \frac{55 \, \text{pounds}}{5 \, \text{gallons}} = 11 \, \text{pounds per gallon}Weight of 1 gallon of paint=5gallons55pounds=11pounds per gallon
Step 3: Interpretation
So, 1 gallon of paint weighs 11 pounds.
Explanation:
This problem involves understanding that the weight of the paint is evenly distributed across the number of gallons. Since Kenzie’s 5-gallon bucket weighs 55 pounds, we can determine the weight of just one gallon by dividing the total weight by 5. This allows us to calculate that each gallon weighs 11 pounds.
This method of division is straightforward and works because the total weight is evenly spread across all the gallons. In real-world scenarios, similar calculations can be applied to different quantities, whether it’s paint, liquid, or any other material that comes in measured units. The key is recognizing that when something is evenly distributed, you can easily find the weight or quantity of each individual part by dividing the total by the number of parts.
