Patrick made two loaves of cinnamon swirl bread to give his neighbors for the holidays. He added 2 ounces of cinnamon to 16 ounces of bread dough to make the first loaf, which he gave to the couple across the street. He added 3 ounces of cinnamon to 24 ounces of bread dough to make the second loaf, which he gave to the family next door. Which loaf had a stronger cinnamon flavor?

1 answer

To determine which loaf of cinnamon swirl bread had a stronger cinnamon flavor, we can calculate the ratio of cinnamon to the total weight of dough for each loaf.

For the first loaf:

  • Cinnamon: 2 ounces
  • Bread dough: 16 ounces
  • Total weight = Cinnamon + Bread dough = 2 ounces + 16 ounces = 18 ounces

The ratio of cinnamon to the total weight for the first loaf is: \[ \text{Ratio for first loaf} = \frac{\text{Cinnamon}}{\text{Total weight}} = \frac{2 \text{ ounces}}{18 \text{ ounces}} = \frac{1}{9} \]

For the second loaf:

  • Cinnamon: 3 ounces
  • Bread dough: 24 ounces
  • Total weight = Cinnamon + Bread dough = 3 ounces + 24 ounces = 27 ounces

The ratio of cinnamon to the total weight for the second loaf is: \[ \text{Ratio for second loaf} = \frac{\text{Cinnamon}}{\text{Total weight}} = \frac{3 \text{ ounces}}{27 \text{ ounces}} = \frac{1}{9} \]

Comparison: Both loaves have the same ratio of cinnamon to total weight, which is \( \frac{1}{9} \). Therefore, neither loaf has a stronger cinnamon flavor; both have identical cinnamon intensity relative to their total weights.