Math Problem Statement

Mrs. Phua bought 2 bags of flour that weighted 2, 1/2 kg each. She used 1, 5/6 kg to bake some cakes and 3/4 of the remainder to bake cookies. How much flour did she use to bake the cookies? ( Give the answer in simplest form

Solution

Let's break down the problem step by step.

Step 1: Total weight of flour Mrs. Phua bought

She bought 2 bags of flour, each weighing 2122 \frac{1}{2} kg.

Convert 2122 \frac{1}{2} into an improper fraction: 212=52 kg2 \frac{1}{2} = \frac{5}{2} \text{ kg}

So, the total weight of flour is: 2×52=5 kg2 \times \frac{5}{2} = 5 \text{ kg}

Step 2: Flour used to bake cakes

Mrs. Phua used 1561 \frac{5}{6} kg of flour to bake cakes.

Step 3: Flour remaining after baking cakes

The remaining flour is: 5156 kg5 - 1 \frac{5}{6} \text{ kg}

Convert 1561 \frac{5}{6} into an improper fraction: 156=116 kg1 \frac{5}{6} = \frac{11}{6} \text{ kg}

So, the remaining flour is: 5116=306116=196 kg5 - \frac{11}{6} = \frac{30}{6} - \frac{11}{6} = \frac{19}{6} \text{ kg}

Step 4: Flour used to bake cookies

She used 34\frac{3}{4} of the remaining flour to bake cookies: Flour used for cookies=34×196=5724\text{Flour used for cookies} = \frac{3}{4} \times \frac{19}{6} = \frac{57}{24}

Step 5: Simplify the fraction

5724\frac{57}{24} can be simplified by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD), which is 3: 57÷324÷3=198\frac{57 \div 3}{24 \div 3} = \frac{19}{8}

Thus, the amount of flour she used to bake the cookies is 198\frac{19}{8} kg, which can also be written as 2382 \frac{3}{8} kg.

Final Answer:

Mrs. Phua used 198\frac{19}{8} kg, or 2382 \frac{3}{8} kg of flour to bake the cookies.

Would you like more details on any of the steps? Here are some related questions:

  1. How do you convert a mixed number to an improper fraction?
  2. What is the greatest common divisor (GCD), and how is it used to simplify fractions?
  3. How do you multiply fractions?
  4. How can you convert an improper fraction back into a mixed number?
  5. What are some examples of real-life situations where fractions are used?

Tip: Always simplify fractions at the final step to ensure your answer is in its simplest form.