Dividing Milk Equally Among Bowls

Here is a simple mathematical problem that many might encounter in a household setting: James has 3.5 gallons of milk and he wants to pour an equal amount into 4 bowls. How much milk should he put in each bowl?

At first glance, the problem might seem straightforward, but let's explore the various methods to solve this.

1. Method Using Fractions

Let's convert the problem into fractions to find the solution. The total amount of milk is 3.5 gallons, which can be written as (3 frac{1}{2} frac{7}{2}) in fractional form. We need to divide this by 4 to find out how much milk goes into each bowl.

The division of fractions is done by multiplying the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction. So, (frac{7}{2} div 4 / 1 frac{7}{2} cdot frac{1}{4} frac{7}{8}). This means each bowl will contain (frac{7}{8}) gallons of milk.

Verification: If we multiply (frac{7}{8} times 4 frac{28}{8} 3.5) gallons, which confirms our solution.

2. Method Using Fluid Ounces

Another method to solve this problem is to convert gallons to fluid ounces. We know that 1 gallon equals 128 fluid ounces. Therefore, 3.5 gallons of milk equals (3.5 times 128 448) fluid ounces.

Now, divide 448 fluid ounces by 4 bowls:

(448 / 4 112) fluid ounces per bowl.

Converting 112 fluid ounces back to gallons, we get:

(112 / 128 0.875) gallons per bowl, which is equivalent to (frac{7}{8}) gallons.

This confirms that each bowl will contain (frac{7}{8}) gallons of milk.

3. Additional Method Using Pints

Another way to visualize this problem is to think in terms of pints. We know that 1 gallon equals 8 pints, so 3.5 gallons is (3.5 times 8 28) pints of milk.

Dividing 28 pints by 4 bowls:

(28 / 4 7) pints per bowl.

Therefore, each bowl will contain 7 pints of milk. To convert this back to gallons, we can use the fact that 1 gallon is 8 pints.

(7 / 8 0.875) gallons, which is again (frac{7}{8}) gallons of milk.

Conclusion

Whether you prefer to solve this problem using fractions, fluid ounces, or pints, the solution is the same: each bowl will contain (frac{7}{8}) gallons, or 0.875 gallons, of milk. This ensures that the milk is divided equally among the 4 bowls.