Big Idea Common Core 6th grade math: Illinois is about ? times larger than Hawaii?

Question

14) The percent of the total area of the United States that is in each of four states is shown.

 

Alaska 17.5%   Florida 1.7%    Hawaii   0.288%   Illinois  1.5%

 

A) Write the percents as fractions in simplest form:

 

Alaska: 17.5% = 7/4      Florida: 1.7% = 17/1000    Hawaii: 0.288% = 9/3125   Iliinois: 1.5% = 3/200

 

********help with problem B************

 

B) How many times larger, to the nearest tenth, is Illinois than Hawaii?

 

   Illinois is about ? times larger than Hawaii

Answer 1

A)

Alaska: 17.5% = 0.175 = 175/1000 = 7/40

 

B)

The meaning of "how many times larger" is the crux of the problem.

 

Illinois / Hawaii

1.5% / 0.288%

0.015 / 0.00288

5.208

 

Illinois is five times the size of Hawaii.

Illinois is four times larger than Hawaii.