According to the food label on the box of cookies, each box has 16 servings and each serving contains 4 cookies. The weight of the box of cookies is 1/2 kilograms. What is the weight of each cookie?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Let’s break down the problem step by step:
Given:
- Each box contains 16 servings.
- Each serving contains 4 cookies.
- Total weight of the box = 1/2 kilograms = 0.5 kilograms.
Step 1: Calculate the total number of cookies in the box
Total cookies = Number of servings × Cookies per serving
= 16 servings × 4 cookies/serving
= 64 cookies.
Step 2: Calculate the weight of each cookie
Weight of each cookie = Total weight of the box ÷ Total number of cookies
= 0.5 kg ÷ 64 cookies
= 0.0078125 kg per cookie.
Step 3: Convert weight to grams (optional)
Since 1 kilogram = 1000 grams,
Weight per cookie = 0.0078125 kg × 1000 g/kg
= 7.8125 grams per cookie.
Final Answer:
Each cookie weighs approximately 0.0078 kilograms or 7.8 grams.
Explanation (300 words):
To find the weight of each cookie, we first need to know how many cookies are in the entire box. The box has 16 servings, and each serving has 4 cookies. Multiplying these gives us the total number of cookies: 16 × 4 = 64 cookies.
Next, since the whole box weighs 0.5 kilograms, we want to distribute this weight equally among all 64 cookies to find the weight per cookie. Dividing the total weight (0.5 kg) by the number of cookies (64) results in 0.0078125 kilograms per cookie.
Because weights of individual cookies are often easier to understand in grams rather than kilograms, we convert this number by multiplying by 1000 (since 1 kg = 1000 g). This gives about 7.8 grams per cookie.
This calculation assumes that the entire weight of the box is from the cookies only, which is usually the case for food labels that state net weight. It also assumes all cookies weigh the same, which is a reasonable approximation for packaged cookies.
Understanding the weight per cookie is useful for nutritional and dietary purposes. For example, if you know the calories or nutrients per serving, you can divide those values further to understand what you consume per cookie. Similarly, this kind of calculation helps with portion control and cost analysis when purchasing food items in bulk or by weight.
In summary, breaking the problem into smaller steps—finding the total quantity, then dividing the total weight evenly—lets you easily determine the weight of a single cookie from the information on the food label.