Kari makes homemade salsa to serve with tortilla chips at her restaurant. She uses 4 pounds of tomatoes to make 10 cups of salsa. There is a proportional relationship between the pounds of tomatoes, x, and the cups of salsa, y.

Question

Which equation represents the relationship between x and y?

Y = 0.25x
Y = 0.4x
Y = 2.5x
Y = 6x

How many pounds of tomatoes should Kari use to make 30 cups of salsa?

5
7.5
12
24

Answer 1

To find the equation that represents the relationship between the pounds of tomatoes (x) and the cups of salsa (y), we start with the given information: 4 pounds of tomatoes produce 10 cups of salsa.

First, we can find the ratio of cups of salsa per pound of tomatoes:

\[ \text{Cups of salsa per pound} = \frac{10 \text{ cups}}{4 \text{ pounds}} = 2.5 \text{ cups per pound} \]

This means that for every pound of tomatoes used, Kari makes 2.5 cups of salsa. Therefore, the relationship can be expressed mathematically as:

\[ y = 2.5x \]

So, the equation that represents the relationship between x (pounds of tomatoes) and y (cups of salsa) is Y = 2.5x.

Next, to find out how many pounds of tomatoes Kari should use to make 30 cups of salsa, we can set up the equation using the found relationship:

\[ 30 = 2.5x \]

Now, we can solve for \(x\):

\[ x = \frac{30}{2.5} = 12 \]

Thus, Kari should use 12 pounds of tomatoes to make 30 cups of salsa.

Summary of Answers:

1. The equation that represents the relationship is Y = 2.5x.
2. The number of pounds of tomatoes Kari should use to make 30 cups of salsa is 12.