Lin and Ravi each used the same amount of clay to make mugs and bowls. Lin made 80 mugs and had 1.25 kg of clay left. Ravi made 60 bowls and had 650 g of clay left. The mass of clay used to make 5 mugs was the same as that for making 3 bowls.
- What was the mass of clay used to make 1 bowl?
- Lin and Ravi decided to combine their remaining clay to make mugs. What was the most number of mugs they could make altogether?
Need a hint?
Find how much clay one mug uses compared with one bowl first. Then compare Lin's total clay with Ravi's total clay.
Worked answer
- (a) 5 mugs = 3 bowls, so 1 mug = 35 of a bowl.
- 80 mugs = 80 × 35 bowl = 48 bowls of clay.
- Lin's total clay = 48 bowls + 1250 g = Ravi's total = 60 bowls + 650 g.
- 12 bowls = 1250 g − 650 g = 600 g, so 1 bowl = 50 g.
- (b) 1 mug = 35 × 50 g = 30 g.
- Combined leftover clay = 1250 g + 650 g = 1900 g.
- 1900 ÷ 30 = 63 remainder 10, so the most mugs is 63.
Answer: 63 mugs
The mistake this question tests
Habit
Fraction of a remainder
Many pupils treat the 1.25 kg leftover as if it were in grams with the bowls, or divide 1900 g by 30 and round up to 64 mugs, which uses more clay than they have.
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