A grocery store clerk put only packages of flour tortillas and packages of corn tortillas on a shelf. The ratio number of packages of corn tortillas to the total number of packages on the shelf was 7 to 16.
Which number could be the number of packages of flour tortillas the clerk put on the shelf?
To find the number of packages of flour tortillas the clerk put on the shelf, we need to use the given ratio of corn tortillas to the total number of packages on the shelf.
Let's denote the number of packages of corn tortillas as "c" and the number of packages of flour tortillas as "f". The ratio tells us that:
c : (c + f) = 7 : 16
To solve for the possible number of packages of flour tortillas, we can set up a proportion:
7 / 16 = c / (c + f)
Cross multiplying this proportion, we get:
7(c + f) = 16c
Expanding the equation:
7c + 7f = 16c
Moving all the terms involving "c" to one side:
7f = 16c - 7c
Combining like terms:
7f = 9c
Now, to find the possible values for the number of packages of flour tortillas, we need to integer values for f and c that satisfy the equation. Some possible values for f can be:
f = 1 and c = 7
f = 2 and c = 14
f = 3 and c = 21
Therefore, the number of packages of flour tortillas that the clerk could have put on the shelf could be 1, 2, or 3.
No choices given.
16 - 7 = 9