Question

A painter has three partially filled paint cans. One contains1 7/8 gallons, the second contains1 1/5 gallons, and the third contains1 3/4 gallons. Which answer is closest to the total amount of paint?

Answer 1

`\text{total amount=}(193)/(40)=4.825\text{ gallons}`

Step-by-step explanation

Step 1

convet the mixed numbers into simple fractions

remember

`a(b)/(c)=((a\cdot c)+b)/(c)`

then

`\begin{gathered} 1\text{ }(7)/(8)=((1\cdot8+7))/(8)=(15)/(8) \\ 1(1)/(5)=((1\cdot5+1))/(5)=(6)/(5) \\ 1(3)/(4)=((1\cdot4+3))/(4)=(7)/(4) \end{gathered}`

Step 2

now, make the sum to find the total amount

`\begin{gathered} \text{total amount= }(15)/(8)+(6)/(5)+(7)/(4) \\ \text{total amount=}((15\cdot5\cdot4)+(6\cdot8\cdot4)+(7\cdot5\cdot8))/(160) \\ \text{total amount=}(300+192+280)/(160) \\ \text{total amount=}(772)/(160) \\ \text{total amount=}(193)/(40) \end{gathered}`

I hope this helps you