Question

or
Max made some chili with 4 2/5 cans of black beans and 1 9/10 cans of pinto beans. How many cans of beans did Max use in all?

Write your answer as a fraction or as a whole or mixed number.

Answer 1

To find the total number of cans of beans that Max used, we need to add the quantities of black beans and pinto beans together.

Max used:
- 4 \( \frac{2}{5} \) cans of black beans
- 1 \( \frac{9}{10} \) cans of pinto beans

First, we convert the mixed numbers into improper fractions.

1. For black beans:
\[
4 \frac{2}{5} = 4 \times 5 + 2 = 20 + 2 = \frac{22}{5}
\]

2. For pinto beans:
\[
1 \frac{9}{10} = 1 \times 10 + 9 = 10 + 9 = \frac{19}{10}
\]

Now we need to add the two improper fractions together:
\[
\frac{22}{5} + \frac{19}{10}
\]

To add these fractions, we need a common denominator. The least common multiple of 5 and 10 is 10. Now we can convert \( \frac{22}{5} \) to a fraction with a denominator of 10:
\[
\frac{22}{5} = \frac{22 \times 2}{5 \times 2} = \frac{44}{10}
\]

Now we can add the fractions:
\[
\frac{44}{10} + \frac{19}{10} = \frac{44 + 19}{10} = \frac{63}{10}
\]

Now, we convert \( \frac{63}{10} \) back to a mixed number:
\[
63 \div 10 = 6 \quad \text{(remainder 3)}
\]
So, \( \frac{63}{10} = 6 \frac{3}{10} \).

Thus, the total number of cans of beans Max used is:
\[
\boxed{6 \frac{3}{10}}
\]