High School

A farmer had 5 bags of maize, each having a mass of 112 kg. After drying the maize, the mass decreased in the ratio 15:16.

a) Calculate the total mass lost after the maize was dried.

Answer :

Certainly! Let's solve the problem step-by-step.

1. Initial Mass Calculation:
- We know that the farmer initially has 5 bags of maize, and each bag weighs 112 kg.
- To find the total initial mass of the maize, multiply the number of bags by the weight of each bag:
[tex]\[
\text{Total Initial Mass} = 5 \times 112 \, \text{kg} = 560 \, \text{kg}
\][/tex]

2. Understanding the Ratio:
- The drying process changes the mass of the maize in the ratio 15:16. This means that for every 16 kg of maize initially, the final weight after drying would be 15 kg.

3. Calculating the Final Mass:
- Using the ratio 15:16, we can find the total final mass of the maize after drying.
- For every 16 kg of maize initially, it becomes 15 kg after drying. So, the final mass can be calculated by:
[tex]\[
\text{Total Final Mass} = \left(\frac{15}{16}\right) \times 560 \, \text{kg} = 525 \, \text{kg}
\][/tex]

4. Finding the Total Mass Lost:
- The mass lost during the drying process is the difference between the initial mass and the final mass.
- Calculate the mass lost as follows:
[tex]\[
\text{Total Mass Lost} = 560 \, \text{kg} - 525 \, \text{kg} = 35 \, \text{kg}
\][/tex]

Therefore, after drying, the total mass lost is 35 kg.