To make 5 batches of strawberry shortcake you'll need 7 pounds of cake and 3 3/4 pounds of strawberries for a total sum of 10 3/4 pounds.
1 - Write an equation to represent the problem
For every batch, it takes 1 2/5 pounds of cake and 3/4 pounds of strawberries
therefore
[tex]Let \\\ n_c = pounds~of~cake \\\n_s = pounds~of~strawberries \\\b = number~of~batches[/tex]
[tex]n_c = 1 \frac{2}{5}b \\\n_s = \frac{3}{4}b[/tex]
For ease of math, lets convert these to decimals
[tex]n_c = 1.4b \\\n_s = 0.75b[/tex]
2 - Plug in your variables to solve for cake and strawberries
Cake
[tex]n_c = 1.4b \\\ n_c = 1.4(5)\\n_c = 7[/tex]
To make 5 batches of strawberry shortcake you will need 7 pounds of cake
Strawberry
[tex]n_s = 0.75b \\\n_s = 0.75(5) \\\n_s = 3.75[/tex]
to make 5 batches of strawberry shortcake you will need 3.75 or 3 3/4 pounds of strawberries --- Totalling in at 10.75 pounds or 10 3/4
Hope this helps :)
