Question

HELP! VERY URGENT

Boxes of rice are being stacked next to boxes of instant ramen on the same shelf in a supermarket display. The boxes of rice are 8 inches tall, and the boxes of ramen are 10 inches high.

a. What is the shortest height at which the two stacks will be the same height?
b. How many boxes of rice and how many boxes of ramen will be used in each stack?

Please explain on how you got the answer

Answer 1

You need to find the least common multiples of both numbers.

The least (first) common multiple is 40.

10 x 4 = 40, hence you would need 4 boxes of ramen.

8 x 5 = 40, so you would need 5 boxes of rice.

To do this, basically all you need to do is find the lowest common multiple of 10 and 8, and find 8 times what is 40, and 10 times what is 40.

Hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

The shortest height that they could possibly be, while being at the same height. Hmmmm..... well.

We need to find the next common number of 10 and 8, try to think of a number that both 10 and 8 are factors of.

The smallest number that 8 and 10 are both factors of is: 40!

40 / 10 = 4 40 / 8 = 5

Therefore, they will be the same height - 40 inches, and 4 boxes of ramen will be used, and 5 boxes of rice will be used.