Question

Santa has two and one-half bushels of apples. Three fifths of them are spoiled. He added one third of the spoiled apples to his compost heap. What part of a bushel of apples did he put in the compost?

Answer 1

1/2 of a bushel of apples in the compost.

Explanation:

`\begin{gathered} \text{ The amount of apple Santa has }=2(1)/(2)\text{ bushels} \\ \text{ The proportion of it that is spoiled}=(3)/(5)*2(1)/(2) \end{gathered}`

He then added one-third of the spoiled apples to his compost heap.

`\begin{gathered} (1)/(3)*\text{ Spoiled Apples} \\ =(1)/(3)*(3)/(5)*2(1)/(2) \\ =(1)/(3)*(3)/(5)*(5)/(2) \\ =(1)/(2)\text{ bushel} \end{gathered}`

He put 1/2 of a bushel of apples in the compost.