Terrence normally uses 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil to make his own salad dressing. He decides to change the recipe and include extra dried basil. He decides that the flavor is perfect when including a total of 5/8 teaspoon.

Write an addition equation that could be used to determine the additional amount of basil, b, Terrence added. Solve for b. Describe your steps.

Question

Terrence normally uses 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil to make his own salad dressing. He decides to change the recipe and include extra dried basil. He decides that the flavor is perfect when including a total of 5/8 teaspoon. 

Write an addition equation that could be used to determine the additional amount of basil, b, Terrence added. Solve for b. Describe your steps.

anonymous · Answer

If you didn't have to write this equation, can you just figure out how much extra basil was added?

Let's make the problem similar but easier for a second, just to see how it works.

Joe normally adds 1 teaspoon of sugar.  But then he decides that 3 teaspoons of sugar tastes better.  How much extra sugar did Joe add?

Joe would have added 2 extra teaspoons of sugar, right?  And you find that by subtracting what he started with (1 tsp) from the total (3 tsp).  3 - 1 = 2.

So your problem with Terrence is going to be the same idea... subtraction.