Question
Nancy has a 3.5 -pound bag of birdseed. She uses \( \frac{3}{4} \) of the bag to fill a bird feeder in her garden. Then, she puts 0.25 pounds in a dish to give to her pet canaries. How much birdseed does she have left? Write your answer as a whole number, decimal, fraction, or mixed number. Simplify any fractions. Submit
Ask by Todd Horton. in the United States
Jan 25,2025
Real Tutor Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
Nancy has \( \frac{5}{8} \) pounds of birdseed left.
Solution
Nancy starts with a **3.5-pound** bag of birdseed.
1. **Birdseed used for the feeder:**
\[
\frac{3}{4} \times 3.5 = \frac{3}{4} \times \frac{7}{2} = \frac{21}{8} = 2 \frac{5}{8} \text{ pounds}
\]
2. **Birdseed used for the canaries:**
\[
0.25 \text{ pounds} = \frac{1}{4} \text{ pounds}
\]
3. **Total birdseed used:**
\[
2 \frac{5}{8} + \frac{1}{4} = 2 \frac{5}{8} + \frac{2}{8} = 2 \frac{7}{8} \text{ pounds}
\]
4. **Birdseed remaining:**
\[
3.5 - 2 \frac{7}{8} = 3 \frac{1}{2} - 2 \frac{7}{8} = \frac{7}{2} - \frac{23}{8} = \frac{28}{8} - \frac{23}{8} = \frac{5}{8} \text{ pounds}
\]
**Answer:** \( \frac{5}{8} \) pounds
Reviewed and approved by the UpStudy tutoring team
Like
error msg
Explain 
Simplify this solution Beyond the Answer
First, let’s figure out how much birdseed Nancy used for the bird feeder. She used \( \frac{3}{4} \) of a 3.5-pound bag. To calculate that, we multiply: \[ \frac{3}{4} \times 3.5 = \frac{3}{4} \times \frac{7}{2} = \frac{21}{8} = 2.625 \text{ pounds.} \] Now, we subtract that amount from the original 3.5 pounds: \[ 3.5 - 2.625 = 0.875 \text{ pounds.} \] Next, she puts 0.25 pounds in a dish for her canaries, so we subtract that amount from what she has left: \[ 0.875 - 0.25 = 0.625 \text{ pounds.} \] Thus, the amount of birdseed Nancy has left is **0.625 pounds** or **\(\frac{5}{8}\)** when expressed as a fraction.
