Final answer:
To find out how much candy you can buy for $12.00, calculate the rate of $2.25 per lb from the initial purchase and use it to determine that you can buy 5 lb of candy for $12.
Hence, Option 2 (5 lb) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you paid $9 for 4 lb of candy, to figure out how much candy you can buy for $12.00, you first need to determine the rate at which you are purchasing candy. You do this by dividing the total cost by the weight of the candy, which gives you the price per pound.
Price per pound = $9 / 4 lb = $2.25 per lb
Next, you use this price per pound to calculate how much candy you can buy with $12.00:
Candy for $12.00 = $12.00 / $2.25 per lb
= 5.33 lb
Since you can't typically buy fractions of a pound of candy, you would be able to get 5 lb of candy for $12, which is the nearest whole number without going over your budget. Thus, out of the given options, the correct choice is Option 2: 5 lb.