Question

Use this information to answer the following 4 questions: Marie has a weekly budget of $24$dollars, which she likes to spend on magazines and pies. If the price of a pie is $12$dollars, what is the maximum number of pies she could buy in a week?

Short answer

Marie can buy a maximum of $2$ pies each week with her budget of $24$ dollars.

Step-by-step solution

Identify the given information

Marie's weekly budget is $24$ dollars, and the price of a pie is $12$ dollars.

Divide the budget by the price of a pie

We need to find out how many times $12$ dollars (the price of a pie) fits into $24$ dollars (Marie's weekly budget). To do this, we have to divide her budget by the price of a pie. So, the calculation we need to make is: $\frac{24}{12}$

Calculate the result

Now we have to perform the division: $\frac{24}{12}=2$

Interpret the result

The result of the division is 2, which means Marie can buy a maximum of 2 pies each week with her budget of $24$ dollars.

Key concepts

Problem-Solving in Budgeting

In everyday life, budgeting is a key skill to manage expenses effectively. Learning how to solve problems involving a budget helps us make informed financial decisions. When facing a problem like Marie's, we need to start by understanding what information we have and what we want to achieve. Here, Marie wants to know how many pies she can buy with her budget of $24. Problem-solving, in this context, requires an organized approach:

• Identify what you have: Marie has $24.
• Determine what you need to know: The number of pies she can buy.
• Choose an operation: Since she is buying multiple of the same item at a known price, use division.

Understanding the problem clearly is the first step towards an effective solution. By approaching it methodically and using the right tool (division, in this instance), we can solve it accurately and efficiently.

The Role of Division in Budgeting

Division plays a crucial role when it comes to budgeting because it helps us determine how many times we can afford to purchase something within our budget. For Marie's problem, we are dividing her total budget by the price of each pie. This division answers the question of how many pies she can buy without exceeding her budget.

Consider the following:

• Budget division: Marie has $24,andeachpiecosts$12.
• Perform the division: We calculate how many $12fitinto$24 by doing the division $\frac{24}{12}=2$.
• Result interpretation: The quotient tells us that she can buy 2 pies.

So, division is essentially about finding how many equal parts we can make. It's a critical way to analyze our available funds and ensure we spend within our means.

Understanding Basic Arithmetic in Budget Context

Basic arithmetic, involving operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, is the foundation of tasks like budgeting. These operations allow us to calculate costs, compare budgets, and make decisions accordingly. In dealing with Marie's scenario, we particularly focus on division, but understanding how this fits within basic arithmetic is important:

• Addition and subtraction: They help in calculating total costs and adjusting budgets when expenses change.
• Multiplication: Useful for scaling prices when buying in bulk.
• Division: Key for distributing budgets over multiple items or periods, as we've seen here with the pies.

Recognizing when and how to use these basic operations gives you the power to manage your finances effectively. Without a clear grasp of basic arithmetic, budgeting can become a challenging task.