Helena had a balance of $14.48 left on a gift card. She bought a muffin each for her, and five of her friends. The cost of each muffin was $1.02.

Helena says she has about $8.50 left on her gift card. Is her statement reasonable?
A.
This is reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $14.40 and $1.02 can be rounded to $1. Since 14.40 - 5(1) = 9.40, she would have about $9.40 left on her gift card.

B.
This is reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $14.50 and $1.02 can be rounded to $1. Since 14.50 - 6(1) = 8.50, she would have about $8.50 left on her gift card.

C.
This is not reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $15 and $1.02 can be rounded to $2. Since 15 - 5(2) = 5, she would have about $5 left on her gift card.

D.
This is not reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $14.50 and $1.02 can be rounded to $2. Since 14.50 - 6(2) = 2.50, she would have about $2.50 left on her gift card.

1 answer

To determine if Helena's statement about her gift card balance is reasonable, we need to analyze the costs involved.

First, we calculate the total cost of the muffins:

  • There are 6 muffins being purchased (one for Helena and five for her friends).
  • The cost of each muffin is $1.02.

Total cost for 6 muffins: \[ 6 \times 1.02 = 6.12 \]

Now, we subtract this total cost from Helena's initial balance:

Initial balance: \[ 14.48 \]

Subtracting the cost of the muffins: \[ 14.48 - 6.12 = 8.36 \]

Now we evaluate Helena's claim that she has about $8.50 left.

Now let's look at each of the options given:

A. This is reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $14.40 and $1.02 can be rounded to $1. Since 14.40 - 5(1) = 9.40, she would have about $9.40 left on her gift card.

  • This option rounds down, which leads to an inaccurate and higher estimate.

B. This is reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $14.50 and $1.02 can be rounded to $1. Since 14.50 - 6(1) = 8.50, she would have about $8.50 left on her gift card.

  • This option provides a rough estimate that leads to Helena's statement being correct.

C. This is not reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $15 and $1.02 can be rounded to $2. Since 15 - 5(2) = 5, she would have about $5 left on her gift card.

  • This option rounds up the muffin cost too much and doesn't apply.

D. This is not reasonable because $14.48 can be rounded to $14.50 and $1.02 can be rounded to $2. Since 14.50 - 6(2) = 2.50, she would have about $2.50 left on her gift card.

  • This option also rounds the muffin cost up excessively.

The most reasonable answer is B because it provides a logical and accurate rough estimate of Helena's gift card balance, supporting her claim of having about $8.50 left after her purchase.