A grocery store clerk put only packages of flour tortillas and packages of
corn tortillas on a shelf. The ratio of the 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?
18
To find the possible number of packages of flour tortillas the clerk put on the shelf, we first need to understand the ratio between corn tortillas and the total number of packages.
Let's assume the total number of packages on the shelf is represented by "x".
According to the given information, the ratio of the number of packages of corn tortillas to the total number of packages is 7 to 16. This means that for every 7 packages of corn tortillas, there are a total of 16 packages on the shelf.
Mathematically, we can represent this as:
Number of packages of corn tortillas / Total number of packages = 7 / 16
Now, we can solve this ratio to determine the possible number of packages of corn tortillas:
7 / 16 = Number of packages of corn tortillas / x
Cross-multiplying, we get:
7 * x = 16 * Number of packages of corn tortillas
Simplifying further:
7x = 16 * Number of packages of corn tortillas
Since we don't know the specific number of packages of corn tortillas, we can express it as a variable, let's say "y". So we can rewrite the equation as:
7x = 16y
To find the possible number of packages of flour tortillas, we have to determine the value of "x" that would yield a positive integer value for "y".
Let's check the values of "x" that satisfy this equation:
If we consider x = 16, the equation becomes:
7 * 16 = 16y
Which simplifies to:
112 = 16y
In this case, y = 112/16 = 7, which is a positive integer value.
Therefore, the possible number of packages of flour tortillas the clerk put on the shelf could be 16.
I don't know either I'm trying to find out too
idk im trying find out too
why not just 7 corn and 16 flour?
Or any multiple of 16