Question

the manager of a concession stands estimates that she needs 3 hot dogs for every 5 people who attend a basketball game. if 1,200 people attend the game, how many hot dogs should the manager order?
explain and show the work in 7th grader's words

Answer 1

Start with the ratio: 3 hot dogs for every 5 people.

Method 1 — grouping:
- How many groups of 5 people are in 1,200 people? 1200 ÷ 5 = 240 groups.
- Each group needs 3 hot dogs, so total hot dogs = 240 × 3 = 720.

Method 2 — proportion:
- Let h = number of hot dogs. Set up 3/5 = h/1200.
- Cross-multiply: 5h = 3 × 1200 = 3600, so h = 3600 ÷ 5 = 720.

Either way, the manager should order 720 hot dogs.