Question

A service group collects trash from area roadways for four straight weeks. The amount of trash they pick up is about 19 1/2, 15 1/3, 20 7/10, and 16 3/5 pounds. Estimate the total number of pounds collected.

a. 70
b. 71
c. 72
d. 73

Answer 1

The estimated total number of pounds collected is approximately 22 pounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

To estimate the total number of pounds collected, we add together the amounts of trash collected each week:

19 1/2 + 15 1/3 + 20 7/10 + 16 3/5

To add these fractions, we need to find a common denominator. The common denominator for these fractions is 30. We convert each fraction to have a denominator of 30:

19 1/2 = 19 * 15/15 + 1/2 * 30/30 = 285/30 + 15/30 = 300/30

15 1/3 = 15 * 10/10 + 1/3 * 30/30 = 150/30 + 10/30 = 160/30

20 7/10 = 20 * 3/3 + 7/10 * 30/30 = 60/30 + 21/30 = 81/30

16 3/5 = 16 * 6/6 + 3/5 * 30/30 = 96/30 + 18/30 = 114/30

Now we can add the fractions:

300/30 + 160/30 + 81/30 + 114/30 = 655/30

To simplify this fraction, we can divide the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor:

655/30 = 131/6

So, the estimated total number of pounds collected is approximately 131/6 pounds.

Since a fraction of a pound is not a practical measurement, we can round the fraction to the nearest whole number. In this case, 131/6 is closer to 22 than to 21, so the estimated total number of pounds collected is approximately 22 pounds.