what is the value of x?

Question

cups of sugar     vs.  cups of flour

x        ?                              1 cup of flour

2 c of sugar                      5 c of flour

6 c of sugar                      15 c of flour

8 c of sugar                      20 c of flour

how to find the value of x?

Answer 1

Notice when we went from 2 cups sugar to 6 cups sugar

that was three times as much sugar and equated to

3 times as much flour which went from 5 cups to 15 cups.

 

The same type relation maintains.  When the cups of sugar

went from 2 to 8.. multiplying by 4 .. the 5 cups of flour

also went up by a factor of 4 from 5 to 20 cups

 

So.. the proportions and ratios remain constant:

When we have 5 cups of flour and cut it down to

1 cup flour that is a factor of 1/5.

Multiply the 2 cups of sugar by 1/5 to get the amount for x

 

x = 2(1/5) = 2/5 cups sugar