Question

Will’s Widget Works can produce 2½ tons of widgets in an 8 hour work day.

a. How many widgets can Will’s Widget Works produce between 9 am and noon?

b. McGee Manufacturing, Inc. needs to order 17 tons of widgets. How many work days
will it take Will’s Widget works to fill this order?

Answer 1

a. 15/16 tons or 0.9375 tons

b. 6 4/5 work days or 6.8 work days

Explanation:

a.

there are 3 hours between 9am and noon

rewrite 2 1/2 as 5/2 or 2.5

make a proportion:
`(5/2)/(8) = (x)/(3)`

cross multiply: 5/2 * 3 = 8x →15/2 = 8x

divide 15/2 by 8 = 15/2 * 1/8 = 15/16

b. make another proportion

`(5/2)/(8) = (17)/(y)`

cross multiply:(5/2) y = 8*17 → (5/2) y = 136

divide 136 by 5/2 = 136 * 2/5 =54 2/5 hours

1 work day = 8 hours

so 54 2/5 hours / 8 hours = 6 4/5 work days or 6.8 work days