Question

3 pounds of potatoes makes 8 servings of mashed potatoes. How many servings of mashed potatoes would 12 pounds of potatoes make? Show your work using equivalent ratios.

As you answer the following questions, write explanations for why your current answer is correct

Answer 1

We can use equivalent ratios to solve this problem.

We know that 3 pounds of potatoes makes 8 servings of mashed potatoes.

This can be expressed as a ratio: 3 pounds of potatoes : 8 servings of mashed potatoes

We can use this ratio to find the number of servings of mashed potatoes that 12 pounds of potatoes would make.

To do this, we'll keep the ratio of potatoes to servings of mashed potatoes the same, while scaling up the quantity of potatoes.

We can start by cross multiplying:

3 pounds of potatoes * x servings of mashed potatoes = 8 servings of mashed potatoes * 12 pounds of potatoes

3 * x = 8 * 12

Next, we'll solve for x by dividing both sides of the equation by 3

x = 8*12/3

x = 32

So, 12 pounds of potatoes would make 32 servings of mashed potatoes.

This answer is correct because the ratio of potatoes to servings of mashed potatoes is the same in both cases and we just scaled up the quantity of potatoes while keeping the ratio the same.