Answer: the mixed number 7 1/2
It can also be written as 7 & 1/2
whole part = 7
fractional part = 1/2
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Step-by-step explanation
1/2 cup of olive oil serves 4 people.
We can express this as the ratio 1/2 : 4 where the first number is the amount of olive oil (in cups) and the second number is the number of people.
The template for the ratio is AmountOfOliveOil : NumberOfPeople
What we need to do is change the "4" into "120". We must multiply both parts of the ratio by 30 since 4*30 = 120
So,
The ratio 1/2 : 4 scales up to the equivalent ratio 15 : 120. It means "15 cups of olive oil is needed to serve 120 people".
From here, we convert from cups to pints. On a reference sheet, or something you memorize, would be the equation 1 pint = 2 cups. Divide both sides by 2 to get 1 cup = 0.5 pints.
Then multiply both sides by 15 to get 15 cups = 7.5 pints
This converts to the mixed number 7 1/2 which is the final answer.
We need 7 full pints, plus an additional 1/2 a pint, of olive oil to be able to serve 120 people.
Side notes:
- The mixed number 7 1/2 can be written as 7 & 1/2 to better separate the whole part from the fraction.
- The mixed number 7 & 1/2 converts to the improper fraction 15/2. It is not a proper fraction because the numerator is larger than the denominator.