Question

Ryan's famous chili recipe uses 3 tablespoons of chili powder for 5 servings.

How many tablespoons are needed for the family reunion needing 40 servings?

Answer 1

To determine how many tablespoons of chili powder are needed for 40 servings, a proportion is set up and solved, revealing that 24 tablespoons are required.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ryan's famous chili recipe uses 3 tablespoons of chili powder for 5 servings. To find out how many tablespoons are needed for 40 servings, we set up a proportion because the number of tablespoons is directly proportional to the number of servings.

The proportion is as follows:

1. Write the ratio of tablespoons to servings for the original recipe: 3 tablespoons/5 servings.
2. Set up the proportion with an unknown variable (x) for the number of tablespoons needed for 40 servings: 3/5 = x/40.
3. Cross-multiply and solve for x: (3 × 40) = (5 × x), which simplifies to 120 = 5x.
4. Divide both sides by 5 to solve for x: x = 120/5, which simplifies to x = 24.

Therefore, 24 tablespoons of chili powder are needed for 40 servings.