Question

I got this question on a math homework and I don't understand it, 5 5/8 cups of water fill 4 1/2 identical water bottles. How many cups fill each bottle?

Answer 1

1-1/4 cups (1 and 1/4 cups) or 1.25 cups

Explanation:

To find the answer you need to take the total volume (5-5/8 cups) and divide it by the number of bottles you have:

5-5/8 divided by 4-1/2

There are two easy ways to do this: you can convert the mixed fractions into decimal form (A) or into improper fractions (B).

A)

First, convert to decimal form:

5-5/8 = 5.625 and 4-1/2 = 4.5

Then, you divide them:

5.625 / 4.5 = 1.25 (converted back to fraction form, if thats what you need, is 1-1/4)

B)

First, convert to mixed numbers:

5-5/8 = 45/8 and 4-1/2 =9/2

Then, you divide them:

45/8 / 9/2

When you divide fractions, you multiply by the inverse of the number you're dividing by (that means swapping the numerator and denominator):

45/8 * 2/9 = 90/72 (converted back to a mixed fraction, this equals 1-1/4)