When the sugar bowl is full, it weighs 740 grams. How many tablespoons of sugar can the bowl hold? Show your reasoning.
- The problem gives us the value W, in this case 740. We can substitute 740 in the initial equation to solve for T, total tablespoons. The equation now reads like this: 740 = 12.5(T) + 340. We can solve for the variable T by isolating it on one side of the equation. To do this, we have to eliminate the other values in the equation by applying their opposite to both sides of the equation. We start with the value that is not attached to the variable, in this case that is + 340. To get rid of this value, we will subtract 340 from both sides of the equation. 740 - 340 = 12.5(T) + 340 - 340. You can see now how the + 340 and - 340 will cancel each other out. The equation is now 400 = 12.5(T). To isolate T, we have to apply the opposite operation of the coefficient, in this case we will divide by 12.5. 400 / 12.5 = 12.5(T) / 12.5. The right side of the equation will now only have the variable T, which we can identify by completing the operation on the left side. 400 / 12.5 = 32 = T.
- W = 12.5(T) + 340
- 740 = 12.5(T) + 340
- 740 - 340 = 12.5(T) + 340 - 340
- 400 = 12.5(T)
- 400 / 12.5 = 12.5(T) / 12.5
- 32 = T
Which point on the graph could represent your answer to the previous question?
- Point D (32, 740)
About how many tablespoons of sugar are in the bowl when the total weight is 600 grams?
- If we follow the same steps as the problem above, we go through this process:
- W = 12.5(T) + 340
- 600 = 12.5(T) + 340
- 600 - 340 = 12.5(T) + 340 - 340
- 260 = 12.5(T)
- 260 / 12.5 = 12.5(T) / 12.5
- 20.8 = T
