Michael is making a large batch of smoothies. The recipe calls for 4 strawberries for every banana. Michael used 55 fruits all together.

Question

You found that in this system of equations, s=44 when b=11. What does this solution mean in the context of this problem?
s=4b
s+b=55

b=11
s=44

The solution shows that Michael used 11 strawberries and 44 bananas to make the large batch of smoothies.

The solution shows that Michael used 11 times as many bananas as strawberries.

The solution shows that Michael used 44 strawberries and 11 bananas to make the large batch of smoothies.

Answer 1

Let's analyze the problem and the provided solution step-by-step.

The equations given are based on the relationships defined in the recipe:

1. Equation 1: \( s = 4b \) (This indicates that for every banana, there are 4 strawberries.)
2. Equation 2: \( s + b = 55 \) (This indicates the total number of fruits used is 55.)

From the provided solution:

• When \( b = 11 \), substituting into Equation 1 gives \( s = 4 \times 11 = 44 \).
• This means Michael used 44 strawberries and 11 bananas.

Now, let's evaluate the meaning of the solution:

1. "The solution shows that Michael used 11 strawberries and 44 bananas to make the large batch of smoothies." - Incorrect (he actually used 11 bananas, not strawberries).

2. "The solution shows that Michael used 11 times as many bananas as strawberries." - Incorrect (it is the other way around; there are 4 times as many strawberries as bananas).

3. "The solution shows that Michael used 44 strawberries and 11 bananas to make the large batch of smoothies." - Correct.

Therefore, the correct interpretation is:

The solution shows that Michael used 44 strawberries and 11 bananas to make the large batch of smoothies.