Finley's pumpkin had a mass of
\[6.5\] kilograms
\[(\text{kg})\] before he carved it. After it was carved, the pumpkin had a mass of
\[3.9\,\text{kg}\].
What was the percent decrease in the mass of the pumpkin?
To calculate the percent decrease, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Percent Decrease} = \frac{\text{Original Mass} - \text{New Mass}}{\text{Original Mass}} \times 100\% \]
The original mass of the pumpkin is 6.5 kg and the new mass after carving is 3.9 kg. Plugging in these values gives us:
\[ \text{Percent Decrease} = \frac{6.5\,kg - 3.9\,kg}{6.5\,kg} \times 100\% \]
\[ \text{Percent Decrease} = \frac{2.6\,kg}{6.5\,kg} \times 100\% \]
\[ \text{Percent Decrease} = 0.4 \times 100\% \]
\[ \text{Percent Decrease} = 40\% \]
So the percent decrease in the mass of the pumpkin after carving is 40%.