Why wasn't cross multiplication used.
Five editors finish a project in 3 1/2 weeks. How many editors are needed to complete the same project in 1 1/6 weeks
5/3.5= x/1.16
It would work if you had used the correct number
1 1/6 weeks is NOT 1.16 it is 7/6 , so
secondly, this is not a direct proportion, but rather an inverse proportion.
That is, the more workers you have, the less time it takes.
the correct proportion is
5/x = (7/6) / 3.5
then (7/6)x = 3.5(5)
x = 17.5(6/7) = 15
To solve this problem, it seems like you are trying to use cross multiplication. However, cross multiplication is typically used when you have a proportion with two ratios, and you want to find the missing value. In this case, we are not dealing with a proportion, but rather a direct relationship between the number of editors and the time it takes to complete the project.
To solve this problem, we need to understand that the number of editors and the time required to complete the project are inversely proportional. This means that as the number of editors increases, the time taken to complete the project decreases, and vice versa.
Given that 5 editors finish the project in 3 1/2 weeks, we can set up the following equation to represent the relationship:
5 editors * 3 1/2 weeks = x editors * 1 1/6 weeks
To solve for x (the number of editors needed to complete the project in 1 1/6 weeks), we can rearrange the equation using algebra:
5 * 3.5 = x * 1.1667 (approximated to four decimal places)
17.5 = 1.1667x
To isolate x, divide both sides of the equation by 1.1667:
17.5 / 1.1667 = x
Simplifying the right side of the equation gives:
14.995 = x
Therefore, approximately 15 editors are needed to complete the same project in 1 1/6 weeks.