Betty worked with 42 women for 379 days. She found that together, they collected 3,235 kg of shellfish in a total of 886 person-hours of work.

Question

Based on laboratory analysis, she determined that 22.6 kg of shellfish provide 3,670 calories.

a) What is the caloric return rate one of these women earns from shell fishing (calories per hour)?

b) How many hours a day would a woman have to work to feed herself, her husband, and two children, if she is to provide 50% of the calories in the diet (and all of the calories she produces come from shellfish)? [Assume adults eat 2,200 calories and children 1,800 calories per day]. Is she'll-fishing a viable subsistence strategy?

Answer 1

 

                     3235 kg / 886 person - hours = 3.651242 kg per person hour

 

  22.6 kg                  3.651242 kg

----------------- =   ------------------  

 3670 calories                  ?

 

? = 592.923 calories

 

 

(b)  2  * ( 2200 + 1800) = 2 * 4000 = 8000

 

  half is 4000

 

  4000 / 5692.923 = 6.74623855