Every month we will give you a math/statistics brain teaser that lets you test your
knowledge with a fun problem.
This Month's Challenge: Marcella's Valentine
Marcella wants to buy gifts for her Valentine.
She wants to buy a sweater for $32.44,
a box of candy for $10.50,
a dozen of her valentine's favorite flowers for $25.00,
and a stuffed bear for $16.82.
Marcella has a job, and gets paid $17.00 per hour of work that she does.
How many hours does Marcella need to work to buy everything for her valentine?
Click here for answer!
The Answer!
Marcella needs to work 5 hours.
First, we add the costs of everything Marcella wants to buy:
$32.44
$10.50
$25.00
+$16.82
$84.76
Then, we divide the total cost (in dollars) by the amount Marcella gets paid for one hour of work (also in dollars):
84.76
÷17.00
4.98
We round up to give us a whole number of hours:
4.98 rounds up to 5
To check our work, we can multiply 17 x 5 and make sure it is more than the total cost:
$17 x 5 hours = $85
$85 > $84.76
