Question

Paper bread recipe calls for one and two over 3 cups of regular flour and two and one over 4 cups of wheat flour. What is the total amount of flour needed?

Answer 1

To find the total amount of flour needed for the recipe, you'll need to add the amounts of regular flour and wheat flour together.

1. **Convert the measurements to improper fractions:**
- For the regular flour:
\[
1 \frac{2}{3} = \frac{3 \times 1 + 2}{3} = \frac{3 + 2}{3} = \frac{5}{3}
\]
- For the wheat flour:
\[
2 \frac{1}{4} = \frac{4 \times 2 + 1}{4} = \frac{8 + 1}{4} = \frac{9}{4}
\]

2. **Find a common denominator for the fractions \(\frac{5}{3}\) and \(\frac{9}{4}\).** The least common multiple of 3 and 4 is 12.

3. **Convert both fractions to have a denominator of 12:**
- For \(\frac{5}{3}\):
\[
\frac{5}{3} = \frac{5 \times 4}{3 \times 4} = \frac{20}{12}
\]
- For \(\frac{9}{4}\):
\[
\frac{9}{4} = \frac{9 \times 3}{4 \times 3} = \frac{27}{12}
\]

4. **Add the two fractions together:**
\[
\frac{20}{12} + \frac{27}{12} = \frac{20 + 27}{12} = \frac{47}{12}
\]

5. **Convert \(\frac{47}{12}\) to a mixed number:**
- Divide 47 by 12, which gives 3 with a remainder of 11. Therefore:
\[
\frac{47}{12} = 3 \frac{11}{12}
\]

Thus, the total amount of flour needed is \(3 \frac{11}{12}\) cups.