Math Problem Statement

Papa bear ate half of the pie. Mama bear ate half of what was left. Baby bear ate half of what was left after Mama bear finished eating. What fractional part of the pie was left for Goldilocks?

Solution

Let's break down the problem step by step:

  1. Papa bear ate half of the pie, meaning after Papa bear, half the pie (or 12\frac{1}{2}) is left.

  2. Mama bear ate half of what was left, which means she ate half of the remaining 12\frac{1}{2} of the pie. So, Mama bear ate 12×12=14\frac{1}{2} \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{4} of the whole pie. After Mama bear, 1214=14\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{4} = \frac{1}{4} of the pie remains.

  3. Baby bear ate half of what was left after Mama bear finished eating, meaning Baby bear ate half of 14\frac{1}{4}, which is 12×14=18\frac{1}{2} \times \frac{1}{4} = \frac{1}{8}.

  4. What is left for Goldilocks is the remaining fraction of the pie after all the bears have eaten. That is: Remaining pie=1418=2818=18\text{Remaining pie} = \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{8} = \frac{2}{8} - \frac{1}{8} = \frac{1}{8}

So, Goldilocks has 18\frac{1}{8} of the pie left.

Would you like further details on any part of this solution?


Here are 5 questions to expand your understanding:

  1. If Papa bear ate 23\frac{2}{3} of the pie instead of half, how much would be left for Goldilocks?
  2. What fraction of the pie did all the bears eat together?
  3. How would the problem change if Baby bear ate two-thirds of what was left after Mama bear ate?
  4. Can you express the amount of pie left for Goldilocks as a decimal?
  5. If Mama bear ate three-quarters of what Papa bear left, how much would remain for Goldilocks?

Tip: Always keep track of portions as fractions when solving problems involving multiple reductions or divisions.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Fractions
Proportions
Subtraction

Formulas

Fraction of pie after Papa bear = 1 - (1/2)
Fraction of pie after Mama bear = (1/2) - (1/2 * 1/2)
Fraction of pie after Baby bear = (1/4) - (1/2 * 1/4)

Theorems

Basic Fraction Subtraction

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 5-6