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.

Reset Submit

1 answer

To determine if Helena's statement about her gift card balance is reasonable, we first need to calculate the actual purchase and then compare it with the options provided.

  1. Calculate the total cost of the muffins: Helena bought muffins for herself and five friends, making it a total of 6 muffins. The cost of each muffin is $1.02.

    • Total cost = 6 muffins x $1.02/muffin = $6.12.
  2. Calculate the remaining balance on the gift card: Helena started with $14.48 and spent $6.12.

    • Remaining balance = $14.48 - $6.12 = $8.36.

Now, let's examine each option provided against the actual calculations:

Option A: This suggests rounding $14.48 to $14.40 and $1.02 to $1. The calculation shows:

  • $14.40 - 5(1) = $9.40. This is not a correct reflection of her actual spending (6 muffins) or her remaining balance.

Option B: This option rounds $14.48 to $14.50 and $1.02 to $1. The calculation shows:

  • $14.50 - 6(1) = $8.50. This approximation also does not exactly match the remaining balance but is quite close in reasoning to her statement.

Option C: This option rounds $14.48 to $15 and $1.02 to $2. The calculation shows:

  • $15 - 5(2) = $5. This estimate is not reasonable or close.

Option D: This option rounds $14.48 to $14.50 and $1.02 to $2. The calculation shows:

  • $14.50 - 6(2) = $2.50. This also does not seem reasonable.

Considering the calculation of the remaining balance of $8.36 after the actual transaction, Helena's statement of having "about $8.50" left on her gift card is indeed reasonable. The rounding in Option B would be the best representation of her claim, even if it doesn't match exactly.

Thus, the most appropriate answer would be B.