Question

If there are 231 cubic inches in one gallon, the number of cubic inches in 3 pints is closest to what number?

I don't need the answer, I want to work it out on my own but I need help setting it up please :)

Answer 1

\[\frac{ 231 inches^3 }{ 1gallon } * \frac{ 1gallon }{ 8 pintes } * 3 pintes\]

Answer 2

Phew, ok, how do I break that down to solve it? Cross multiply? I'm sorry, I've not studied this stuff in probably 7-8 years.

Answer 3

So what here's the thought process... I have 231 inches cubed / 1 gallon. There is the first fraction. But I need to know how many inches cubed per pint. I don't know how many inches cubed per pint, but i know how many pints per gallon. There is the second fraction. The important thing to realize, is that you want the gallons to cancel out, so that you end up with inches cubed per pint. I have gallons on the bottom, so my conversion factor (the 1 gal/ 8 pints is the conversion factor) needs to have gallon on top so that they cancel. Once you combine the first two fractions, you have 231 inches cubed / 8 pints. Divide the numbers, and you get 28.875 inches cubed per gallon. Thats all great, but we need 3 pints worth. So we times it by 3 pints, this time pints is on top, so the pints cancel. We are left with 86.625 inches cubed.

Answer 4

Holy hell, I seriously had no idea it took that much to figure it out. Or that you could cancel things like that out. You're a genius.

Answer 5

Thank you so much, you make it seem so easy! I'm really great at algebra and graphing and alg 2, it's fractions and stuff like that which are definitely not my strongest suit.

Answer 6

They may be teaching you an easier way, but when you get into Chemistry or Physics, you deal with a lot of different units, and you have to make sure you are using them all correctly. Once you learn to do it this way, it is the easiest way to do it, and you are least likely to mess up somewhere.

Answer 7

I'm almost 23 and studying for the asvab haha, they taught me all this in 8th grade and I've not really used it since...

Answer 8

Here, Ill give you a practice question with conversions:
If a car going down the highway is traveling at 75 miles / hour, how many feet does it travel per second?

Answer 9

Is that even a legitimate question with a real answer?

Answer 10

Yes it is, and its funny that you said you are taking the ASVAB, I got a 97 when I took it in High school.

Answer 11

Ok, so, there's something like 5,320 feet in a mile. (I'm trying to remember this off the top of my head here)

Answer 12

I got a 78 two weeks ago on the practice. My English and paragraph comprehension were flawless. It was arithmetic reasoning that screwed me up hardcore.

Answer 13

here, ill give you the conversions since they will probably give them to you:
5280 ft per mile
60 minutes per hour
60 seconds per minute
with these three conversions, you can solve it

Answer 14

So it's 5280/60/60?

Answer 15

I got a 78 two weeks ago on the practice. My English and paragraph comprehension were flawless. It was arithmetic reasoning that screwed me up hardcore.

Answer 16

that gives you feet per miles, yes, but then you need to times the 75 miles per hour in there too

Answer 17

Try to set it up like I set the other one up

Answer 18

so that the units cancel out

Answer 19

5,280 miles/ 60 miles per hour = 60 seconds per minute x 75 miles

Answer 20

Yeah, that's not right. If I catch onto something quickly, I'm really good at solving problems over and over that are similar. I just need to make it click.

Answer 21

5,280/60 mins x 60 mins/60 secs x 75?

Answer 22

Here we go, so we want to start with what we have. For these, there is no = sign, everything is done on one side.