To find the total amount of all four ingredients in Hayley's trail mix, we need to add them together. It's best to convert all amounts to fractions with a common denominator to make the addition easier.
- Cereal: \(2 \frac{1}{2} = \frac{5}{2}\) cups
- Nuts: \(\frac{3}{4}\) cup
- Coconut: \(\frac{1}{4}\) cup
- Chocolate chips: \(1 \frac{1}{4} = \frac{5}{4}\) cups
Next, we'll convert all of these fractions to have a common denominator. The least common denominator for \(2\), \(4\), and \(4\) is \(4\).
Now, let's convert each ingredient:
-
Cereal: \[ \frac{5}{2} = \frac{5 \times 2}{2 \times 2} = \frac{10}{4} \]
-
Nuts: \[ \frac{3}{4} = \frac{3}{4} \]
-
Coconut: \[ \frac{1}{4} = \frac{1}{4} \]
-
Chocolate chips: \[ \frac{5}{4} = \frac{5}{4} \]
Now, we can add all the ingredients together: \[ \frac{10}{4} + \frac{3}{4} + \frac{1}{4} + \frac{5}{4} \]
Adding the numerators: \[ 10 + 3 + 1 + 5 = 19 \]
So the total amount is: \[ \frac{19}{4} \] which can be converted back to a mixed number: \[ \frac{19}{4} = 4 \frac{3}{4} \]
Thus, the total amount of all four ingredients is \(4 \frac{3}{4}\) cups.