Question

marian claims that food a has slightly more than three times the calories as food b. johan claims that food b has more calories evauate both claims how could both be justified

Answer 1

They can both be right — if they’re comparing different things.

Commonly the disagreement comes from different units or “serving” definitions:
- Marian could be talking about calories per 100 g (or per gram, per ounce, per 1 lb, etc.).
- Johan could be talking about a typical serving, piece, or the whole package.

Concrete numeric example
- Per 100 g: A = 330 kcal/100 g, B = 100 kcal/100 g → A is 330/100 = 3.3 times B (i.e. “slightly more than three times”).
- Per typical serving: if a serving of A is 30 g → 0.30 × 330 = 99 kcal; a serving of B is 150 g → 1.50 × 100 = 150 kcal → Johan: “B has more calories (per serving)” is true.

Other ways both could be justified
- Marian refers to energy density (kcal per gram); Johan refers to absolute calories in a common portion or package.
- Marian uses one preparation (dry weight), Johan uses the prepared food (with added oil, sauce, water) so calorie totals differ.
- They used different measurements (per piece vs per 100 g), or different items from a product line.

What to do to resolve it
- Ask: “Per what unit — per 100 g, per serving, per piece, or per package?” and compare the same unit. Inspect nutrition labels or weigh typical servings.

Summary: both claims can be true if they’re comparing different units (density vs typical portion). Clarify the unit and you’ll know which statement applies.