Math Equation Response Question

Question

Arun needs to buy 8 3/4 pounds of potting soil to fill a large flowerpot. Potting soil costs $0.60 per pound, including tax. What is the total cost, in dollars, of potting soil that Arun should buy to fill the flowerpot?

Use the on-screen keyboard to type the correct answer in the box below.

$$

Answer 1

To calculate the total cost of potting soil that Arun needs to buy, we can follow these steps:

1. First, convert the mixed number \(8 \frac{3}{4}\) to an improper fraction.

   \(8 \frac{3}{4} = \frac{8 \times 4 + 3}{4} = \frac{32 + 3}{4} = \frac{35}{4}\) pounds.

2. Next, we calculate the cost for 1 pound of potting soil, which is $0.60 per pound.

3. Now, we multiply the weight of the potting soil by the cost per pound:

   \[ \text{Total Cost} = \left(\frac{35}{4}, \text{pounds}\right) \times (0.60 , \text{dollars/pound}) \]

4. Performing the multiplication:

   \[ \text{Total Cost} = \frac{35}{4} \times 0.60 = \frac{35 \times 0.60}{4} = \frac{21}{4} = 5.25 \]

Thus, the total cost of potting soil that Arun should buy is $5.25.

So, the answer to type in the box is:

$$ 5.25 $$