Example Question - flour amounts

Solving a Word Problem Involving Flour Amounts

Let's solve the problem step by step. The problem states that Sally sold \( 5 \frac{1}{2} \) kg of flour and then had \( 8 \frac{1}{4} \) kg of flour left. To find out how much flour she had at first, we need to add the amount she sold to the amount she had left: \[ 5 \frac{1}{2} \text{ kg} + 8 \frac{1}{4} \text{ kg} \] First, we need to find a common denominator for the fractions \( \frac{1}{2} \) and \( \frac{1}{4} \). The least common denominator for 2 and 4 is 4. So we convert \( \frac{1}{2} \) to \( \frac{2}{4} \). Now the problem looks like this: \[ 5 \frac{2}{4} \text{ kg} + 8 \frac{1}{4} \text{ kg} \] Now we add the whole numbers and the fractions separately: Whole numbers: \[ 5 + 8 = 13 \] Fractions: \[ \frac{2}{4} + \frac{1}{4} = \frac{3}{4} \] Therefore, the total amount of flour Sally had at first is: \[ 13 \frac{3}{4} \text{ kg} \] So the correct answer is: \[ (D) \quad 13 \frac{3}{4} \text{ kg} \]