Question

A 53.7 square foot roll of Country paper towels costs $1.49. An 80.6 square foot roll of the same paper towels costs $1.89 on sale. Which is less expensive per square foot, the small or large roll?

Answer 1

The 80.6 square foot roll is less expensive per square foot since it costs $0.03/square foot compared to the other which costs $0.02/square foot

Explanation:

Because the question asks which of the two paper towel rolls is less expensive per square foot, we must find the unit rate of both rolls (specifically, cost per 1 square foot)

We can find the unit rate using a proportion:

53.7 square foot roll

`(1.49)/(53.7)=(x)/(1) \\1.49=53.7x\\0.0277=x\\0.03=x`

80.6 square foot roll

`(1.89)/(80.6)=(x)/(1) \\1.89=80.6x\\0.0234=x\\0.02=x`

Thus, per square foot, the 80.6 square foot roll is less expensive than the 53.7 square foot roll