At a zoo 3 pandas eat a total of 181 1/2 pounds of bamboo shots. the female eats twice as much as baby. How many pounds does the female eat?$

Question

 The male panda eats three times as much as the baby.

Answer 1

b + 2b + 3b = 181.5

6b = 181.5

b = 30.25

 

Baby eats 30 1/4 pounds. Mom eats 60 1 /2 pounds. Dad eats 90 3/4 pounds.

Answer 2

First, notice that the amounts that the female panda and the male panda eat are presented in terms of how much the baby eats.  So, let x = amount baby eats.

  Then  amount female eats = 2x

           amount male eats = 3x

 

Together that is x + 2x + 3x = 6x

 

Second, you now have the option of dividing 6 into 181 1/2 pounds to determine x (because 6x = 181 1/2) or else converting the mixed fraction into an improper fraction first (because 6x = 363/2).

 

      6x = 363/2

      x = 363/12            [divide both sides by 10]

       x = 30 1/4 pounds

 

The baby panda eats 30 1/4 pounds per day.

 

Female eats 2x = 2*(30 1/4) = 2*121/4 = 60 1/2 pounds per day.

 

Male eats 3x = 3*(30 1/4) = 3*121/4 = 90 3/4 pounds per day.