Question

Jimmy and John are trying to put a mixture together of blue jelly beans and red jelly beans for a souvenir gift. The blue jelly beans cost $0.28 per ounce and the red jelly beans cost $0.55 per ounce. They would like their gift bags to cost $2.20 per bag. Use complete sentences to explain why or why not it would be reasonable to say that the mixture could contain 4 ounces of blue jelly beans and 3 ounces of red jelly beans.

Answer 1

The blue jelly beans cost $0.28 per ounce and the red jelly beans cost $0.55 per ounce. They would like their gift bags to cost $2.20 per bag.

The mixture could contain 4 ounces of blue jelly beans and 3 ounces of red jelly beans.

1 ounce of blue jelly cost  = $0.28

4 ounces of blue jelly cost =$1.12

1 ounce of red jelly cost  = $0.55

3 ounces of blue jelly cost = $1.65

Cost of  4 ounces of blue jelly beans and 3 ounces of red jelly beans

= $1.12 + $1.65  = $2.77

Gift bags   cost $2.20 per bag.

$2.77 is more than the gift bag that costs $2.20. So it is not reasonable to say that the mixture could contain 4 ounces of blue jelly beans and 3 ounces of red jelly beans.

Answer 2

As given, the mixture could contain 4 ounces of blue jelly beans and 3 ounces of red jelly beans.

Cost of an ounce of blue jelly beans = $0.28

So, cost of 4 ounces of blue jelly beans = $4\times0.28=1.12$

Similarly, cost of an ounce of red jelly beans = $0.55

So, cost of 3 ounces of red jelly beans = $3\times0.55=1.65$

Now totaling the amounts we have = $1.12+1.65=2.77$

As stated, Jimmy and John want the gift bags to be $2.20 per bag. But each bag is costing $2.77, so it is not reasonable that the mixture should have 4 ounces of blue jelly beans and 3 ounces of red jelly beans.