Mary ate 4 1/2 pears and Carmie ate 7 2/4 pears. If they finished all the pears in a box, how many pears were in the box?(1 point)
A. 12
B. 11 1/4
C. 11
D. 11 3/6
To find the total number of pears, we need to add the number of pears Mary and Carmie ate.
Mary ate 4 1/2 pears.
Carmie ate 7 2/4 pears.
First, we need to change the mixed numbers to improper fractions.
4 1/2 = 4 + 1/2 = 8/2 + 1/2 = 9/2
7 2/4 = 7 + 2/4 = 7 + 1/2 = 15/4
Next, we can add the fractions.
9/2 + 15/4
To add fractions, we need to find a common denominator. The least common multiple (LCM) of 2 and 4 is 4.
9/2 = 18/4 (multiplying the numerator and denominator by 2)
Now we can add the fractions.
18/4 + 15/4 = 33/4
Since there are 4 pears in each whole, dividing the numerator by the denominator gives us the number of wholes.
33/4 = 8 wholes with a remainder of 1.
Therefore, the total number of pears in the box is 8 wholes + 1/4, or 8 1/4.
The answer is B. 11 1/4.