another problem..

**abb1327** · July 10th 2008, 07:15 PM

hi i have another problem. Its:

Tex's favorite recipe for barbecue sauce calls for 2 1/3 cups of tomato sauce.
The recipe makes enough barbecue sauce to serve 7 people. How much tomato sauce is needed for 1 serving?

**nikhil** · July 10th 2008, 07:29 PM

For 7 people->2+1/3 cup of tamato sauce
so for 1->(2+1/3)/7 cup of tamato sauce.
NOTE:its called unitary method and it is really important to understand it.
uhh one serving and serving one are different things.I have have assumed you meant serving one.

**TKHunny** · July 10th 2008, 07:47 PM

That's not much of a party!

This problem demonstrates the general uselessness of the "Mixed" fraction. What is needed, more often than not, is the unfortunately-named "Improper" fraction.

2 1/3 cups = 7/3 cups

$\frac{7/3\;cups}{7} = 1/3\;cup$

Once we had the improper fraction, it was obvious how to proceed dividing by seven.