Question

The ratio of blue shirts in Mr. Wilson's closet is 5:2. He knows he has 21 blue and red shirts combined. How many blue shirts are in Mr. Wilson's closet?

Answer 1

By dividing the total number of shirts by the sum of the parts in the ratio and then multiplying the result by the number of parts for blue shirts, we determine that Mr. Wilson has 15 blue shirts in his closet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks how many blue shirts are in Mr. Wilson's closet given the ratio of blue to red shirts and the total number of shirts. To find the answer, we'll use the information that the ratio of blue shirts to red shirts is 5:2 and there are a total of 21 blue and red shirts. Since the ratio totals 7 parts (5 parts blue + 2 parts red), and these 7 parts must add up to 21 shirts, we can divide 21 by 7 to find the value of each part.

1. Divide the total number of shirts by the total number of parts in the ratio: 21 shirts ÷ 7 parts = 3 shirts per part.
2. Multiply the number of parts for blue shirts by the value of each part: 5 parts × 3 shirts per part = 15 blue shirts.

Mr. Wilson has 15 blue shirts in his closet.