A recipe calls for 4 1/2 cups of flour for 72 cookies. How many cups of flour would be needed for 48 cookies?

Let's use a proportion.

4.5/72 = x/48

Cross multiply and solve for x.

72x = 216
x = 3 cups

Thanks so much!! :)

You're very welcome.

To find out how many cups of flour would be needed for 48 cookies, we can use a proportion.

Step 1: Set up a proportion:
Let x be the unknown number of cups of flour needed for 48 cookies.

4 1/2 cups of flour for 72 cookies is equivalent to x cups of flour for 48 cookies.

So we can set up the proportion:
4 1/2 cups / 72 cookies = x cups / 48 cookies

Step 2: Simplify the proportion:
To simplify, we can convert the mixed number 4 1/2 to an improper fraction.

4 1/2 cups = (2*4 + 1)/2 = 9/2 cups

Now the proportion becomes:
9/2 cups / 72 cookies = x cups / 48 cookies

Step 3: Cross-multiply and solve for x:
By cross-multiplying the proportion, we get:
(9/2) * 48 = 72 * x

Simplifying the equation:
216 = 72 * x

Step 4: Solve for x:
Divide both sides of the equation by 72 to isolate x:
x = 216 / 72

Simplifying the division gives us:
x = 3

Therefore, you would need 3 cups of flour for 48 cookies.