Question

To solve this problem I multiplied $9.50 x 168 to figure out how much it would cost to feed the lambs. Unfortunately my answer, $1596, was incorrect. How would I solve this type of problem?

Answer 1

Answer: 199.50

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Step-by-step explanation:

That calculation you wrote out would only apply if each lamb ate 1 full bale of alfalfa.

Instead, each lamb eats 1/8 of a bale. So you'll divide the 1596 value by 8 to get 1596/8 = 199.50

This is the same as saying (1/8)*1596 = 0.125*1596 = 199.50

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Or we can think of it like this

1 day = 1/8 bale of alfalfa

168*(1 day) = 168*(1/8 bale of alfalfa)

168 days = 21 bales of alfalfa

This says that one lamb will eat 21 bales of alfalfa over the course of 168 days

At $9.50 per bale, the total cost for one lamb is 9.50*21 = 199.50 dollars

This cost applies to one lamb only. So if you had say 3 lambs overall, then you'd multiply that by 3.