Ella has 50 Stacks of ten pennies in each Stacks. Describe how to find how many pennies Ella has in all.
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: 500 pennies
Explanation (300 words):
To find out how many pennies Ella has in total, we begin by understanding what the numbers in the problem represent:
- Ella has 50 stacks.
- Each stack has 10 pennies.
This is a multiplication problem because we are repeatedly adding the same amount (10 pennies) across multiple stacks (50 times). Instead of adding 10 fifty times, we use multiplication for a quicker solution.
So, the number of pennies in total is calculated as: 50 stacks×10 pennies per stack=500 pennies50 \text{ stacks} \times 10 \text{ pennies per stack} = 500 \text{ pennies}
This tells us that Ella has 500 pennies altogether.
Step-by-step Breakdown:
- Understand the units: Each stack has 10 pennies, and there are 50 stacks.
- Set up the multiplication: Since all stacks are the same size, multiply the number of stacks by the number of pennies per stack: 50×1050 \times 10
- Do the math: 50×10=50050 \times 10 = 500
- Interpret the result: This means that when you combine all 50 stacks, each containing 10 pennies, Ella has a total of 500 pennies.
Why Multiplication Works:
Multiplication is a shortcut for repeated addition. In this case: 10+10+10+…(50 times)=50010 + 10 + 10 + \dots \text{(50 times)} = 500
Instead of adding 10 over and over, multiplication simplifies the process. This is especially useful in real-life problems involving grouping, such as counting money, items, or measurements.
Therefore, Ella has 500 pennies in all, found by multiplying 50 stacks by 10 pennies per stack.