PSAT Math Grid-Ins Question 29: Answer and Explanation

Question: 29

Monica sells home-made jams and she made half as many ounces of jam on Wednesday as she did on Thursday. She made a total of 3 pounds and 6 ounces of jam on those two days. How many ounces of jam did Monica make on Thursday? (Note: 16 ounces = 1 pound)

Correct Answer: 36

Explanation:

36

The question asks for a measurement and gives conflicting units. Begin by reading the question to find information on the measurement. The question states that Monica made a total of 3 pounds and 6 ounces of jam on Wednesday and Thursday. There are 16 ounces in a pound, so set up a proportion to determine how many ounces of jam she made in total: . Cross-multiply to solve for x: 48 = x. Add the remaining 6 ounces to get the total for both days: 48 + 6 = 54 ounces in all. The question says she made half as many ounces of jam on Wednesday as she did on Thursday. The question asks how many ounces she made on Thursday alone, so set up an equation to find the answer, where x represents the ounces of jam Monica made on Thursday: 54 = x + x. Add x + x to get 54 = x. Then multiply both sides by to get 36 = x. The correct answer is 36.