High School

Serena makes \(2 \frac{1}{4}\) cups of popcorn using \(1 \frac{1}{2}\) tablespoons of kernels. She wants to know how many tablespoons of kernels to use to make 6 cups of popcorn.

Which is a reasonable estimate for the amount of kernels Serena needs to make 6 cups of popcorn?

A. about 2 tablespoons of kernels
B. about 4 tablespoons of kernels
C. about 6 tablespoons of kernels

Answer :

Final answer:

By applying ratio analysis and cross multiplication with fractions, we find out that Serena would need roughly 4 tablespoons of popcorn kernels to make 6 cups of popcorn.

Explanation:

The question relates to the concept of ratios in Mathematics. Serena makes 2 1/4 cups of popcorn from 1 1/2 tablespoons of kernels. This creates a ratio of popcorn to kernels which is 2 1/4 : 1 1/2. To find out how many tablespoons of kernels are needed to make 6 cups, we can apply a cross multiplication method.

First, we must convert the mixed numbers into improper fractions. Thus, 2 1/4 becomes 9/4 and 1 1/2 becomes 3/2. As such, the ratio becomes 9/4 : 3/2. Set up the proportion as (9/4) / (3/2) = 6 / x.

Next, we apply the cross multiplication and we get 9/4 * x = 6 * 3/2, simplifying gives x = 12/3 or 4. So, Serena needs about 4 tablespoons of kernels to make 6 cups of popcorn, therefore option b) is a more reasonable estimate.

Learn more about Ratios and Proportions here:

https://brainly.com/question/32002365

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