Final answer:
Mrs. Walsh used 1/5 of her 5 5/8 pounds of potatoes to make fries, which is 1 1/8 pounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves a mathematical calculation of proportions and weight measurements. Mrs. Walsh has 5 5/8 pounds of potatoes, and she uses 1/5 of these potatoes to make fries. To determine how many pounds of potatoes were used to make fries, we need to calculate 1/5 of the total weight of the potatoes.
First, we convert 5 5/8 pounds to an improper fraction: (5 × 8) + 5 = 40 + 5 = 45, so she has 45/8 pounds of potatoes in total. Next, we calculate 1/5 of 45/8 pounds:
(1/5) × (45/8) = (45/8) × (1/5)
Multiplying the numerators together and the denominators together, we get:
45 × 1 = 45
8 × 5 = 40
So, we have the fraction 45/40, which can be simplified to × 9/8 pounds. Now we convert the improper fraction back to a mixed number:
9 ÷ 8 = 1 with a remainder of 1, so we have 1 1/8 pounds.
Therefore, Mrs. Walsh used 1 1/8 pounds of potatoes to make fries.