Peter mixes 4 1/3

cups of orange juice, 2 1/3
cups of ginger ale, and 6 1/2
cups of strawberry lemonade to make some punch. What is the total number of cups of punch that Peter makes?

1 answer

To find the total number of cups of punch that Peter makes, we need to add the three quantities together:

  1. Convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions:

    • For orange juice: \[ 4 \frac{1}{3} = \frac{4 \times 3 + 1}{3} = \frac{12 + 1}{3} = \frac{13}{3} \]
    • For ginger ale: \[ 2 \frac{1}{3} = \frac{2 \times 3 + 1}{3} = \frac{6 + 1}{3} = \frac{7}{3} \]
    • For strawberry lemonade: \[ 6 \frac{1}{2} = \frac{6 \times 2 + 1}{2} = \frac{12 + 1}{2} = \frac{13}{2} \]
  2. Now add the improper fractions:

    • First, we find a common denominator. The denominators are 3 and 2. The least common multiple (LCM) of 3 and 2 is 6.
  3. Convert each fraction to have a denominator of 6:

    • For orange juice: \[ \frac{13}{3} = \frac{13 \times 2}{3 \times 2} = \frac{26}{6} \]
    • For ginger ale: \[ \frac{7}{3} = \frac{7 \times 2}{3 \times 2} = \frac{14}{6} \]
    • For strawberry lemonade: \[ \frac{13}{2} = \frac{13 \times 3}{2 \times 3} = \frac{39}{6} \]
  4. Now add all the fractions: \[ \frac{26}{6} + \frac{14}{6} + \frac{39}{6} = \frac{26 + 14 + 39}{6} = \frac{79}{6} \]

  5. Convert the improper fraction back to a mixed number:

    • Divide 79 by 6, which gives us 13 with a remainder of 1. \[ 79 \div 6 = 13 \quad \text{(remainder 1)} \]
    • So, \(\frac{79}{6} = 13 \frac{1}{6}\).

Therefore, the total number of cups of punch that Peter makes is \(\boxed{13 \frac{1}{6}}\).