Question

Josh wants to make a set of 12 ceramic cups. He figures he'll need 0.75 of a pound of clay for each cup. How many pounds of clay does Josh need in all?

Answer 1

The answer is 9 pounds.

0.75 pounds for 1 cup.
x pounds for 12 cups.

Make a proportion:
0.75 pounds : 1 cup = x : 12 cups
x = 0.75 pounds * 12 cups : 1 cup
x = 9 pounds