Sugar cookies use 1.5 cups of butter for every 2 cups of sugar. If the recipe uses 7 cups of sugar, how many cups of butter are needed?

Question

Sugar cookies use 1.5 cups of butter for every 2 cups of sugar. If the recipe calls for 7 cups of sugar, how many cups of butter are needed?

Answer 1

This is a proportion problem:

 

1.5 cups of butter -----  2 cups of sugar

   x                     ------ 7 cups of sugar

 

2x= 1.5*7

   x=10.5/2

     =5.25 cups of butter