Final answer:
Sam requires a bowl large enough to hold 15 cups, as she is making 5 batches of punch with each batch needing 3 cups. The smallest bowl that can accommodate the entire quantity is one that holds at least 16 cups.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about measuring capacity in the context of making punch, which is a mathematical problem involving volume. Using the given information, Sam needs to make 5 batches of punch, with each batch requiring 3 cups. Therefore, the total number of cups needed for the punch is 3 cups multiplied by 5 batches, resulting in 15 cups. Neither the 2-cup nor the 6-cup bowl is sufficient alone; hence, we would need a bowl that holds at least 15 cups. If we think about the standard kitchen measurement tools, the next size up from the provided options would typically be an 8-cup measuring cup. However, even that would be too small, since we need 15 cups. A common size above that is a 16-cup bowl, which is likely to be the smallest bowl Sam can use to mix her punch.
To set up a proportion for measurement conversion:
4 cups/1 quart = 15 cups/x quarts
Solving for x gives us:
1 quart / 4 cups = x quarts / 15 cups
x =(1 quart / 4 cups) * 15 cups
x = 3.75 quarts
Therefore, Sam would need a bowl that holds at least 3.75 quarts, which is equivalent to 15 cups.