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Grade 8 Math: Compare Garden Water Requirements with Unit Conversion
Mathematics
Grade 8
Question Content
There are 4 quarts in 1 gallon. Sal is mixing plant food for his garden. His tomato plants require 5 1/2 gallons of water and his squash plants require 30 quarts of water. Which plants require more water? Sal's [Choose...] plants require more water. 30 quarts is equivalent to [Choose...] gallons.
Correct Answer
Sal's squash plants require more water. 30 quarts is equivalent to 7.5 gallons.
Detailed Solution Steps
1
Step 1: Convert the water requirement for squash plants from quarts to gallons. Use the conversion factor 1 gallon = 4 quarts, so divide the number of quarts by 4: 30 ÷ 4 = 7.5 gallons.
2
Step 2: Compare the converted value to the tomato plants' water requirement. The tomato plants need 5 1/2 (which is 5.5) gallons, and 7.5 > 5.5.
3
Step 3: Conclude that squash plants require more water, and fill in the blanks with the results.
Knowledge Points Involved
1
Unit Conversion (Customary Volume Units)
This refers to converting between units of volume in the US customary system, specifically gallons and quarts. The core conversion factor is 1 gallon = 4 quarts. To convert quarts to gallons, divide the number of quarts by 4; to convert gallons to quarts, multiply the number of gallons by 4. This is used in real-world scenarios like measuring liquids for cooking, gardening, or construction.
2
Fraction to Decimal Conversion
This involves converting mixed numbers or fractions to decimal form for easier comparison. For 5 1/2, the fractional part 1/2 equals 0.5, so 5 1/2 becomes 5.5. This simplifies numerical comparisons between values in different formats.
3
Numerical Comparison
This is the process of evaluating two or more numbers to determine which is larger or smaller. After converting all values to the same unit, we compare their numerical values to answer the question of which plant needs more water. It is a foundational skill for solving real-world comparison problems.
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