Problem Set: Ratios, Rates, Probabilities, and Averages

Calculate the Mean of a Set of Numbers

In the following exercises, find the mean.

  1. 33 , 8 , 2 , 2 , 5

  2. 6 , 1 , 9 , 3 , 4 , 7
  3. 65 , 13 , 48 , 32 , 19 , 33

  4. 34 , 45 , 29 , 61 , and 41
  5. 202 , 241 , 265 , 274

  6. 525 , 532 , 558 , 574
  7. 12.45 , 12.99 , 10.50 , 11.25 , 9.99 , 12.72

  8. 28.8 , 32.9 , 32.5 , 27.9 , 30.4 , 32.5 , 31.6 , 32.7
  9. 2,4,1,0,1,and1
  10. $270 , $310.50 , $243.75 , and $252.15

  11. Each workday last week, Yoshie kept track of the number of minutes she had to wait for the bus. She waited 3,0,8,1,and8 minutes. Find the mean
  12. In the last three months, Raul’s water bills were $31.45,$48.76,and$42.60. Find the mean.

Calculate the Mean of a Set of Numbers in Applications

In the following exercises, find the mean.

  1. Four girls leaving a mall were asked how much money they had just spent. The amounts were $0 , $14.95 , $35.25 , and $25.16 . Find the mean amount of money spent.

  2. Juan bought 5 shirts to wear to his new job. The costs of the shirts were $32.95 , $38.50 , $30.00 , $17.45 , and $24.25 . Find the mean cost.
  3. The number of minutes it took Jim to ride his bike to school for each of the past six days was 21 , 18 , 16 , 19 , 24 , and 19 . Find the mean number of minutes.

  4. Norris bought six books for his classes this semester. The costs of the books were $74.28 , $120.95 , $52.40 , $10.59 , $35.89 , and $59.24 . Find the mean cost.
  5. The top eight hitters in a softball league have batting averages of .373 , .360 , .321 , .321 , .320 , .312 , .311 , and .311 . Find the mean of the batting averages. Round your answer to the nearest thousandth.

  6. The monthly snowfall at a ski resort over a six-month period was 60.3, 79.7, 50.9, 28.0, 47.4, and 46.1 inches. Find the mean snowfall.

Find the Median of a Set of Numbers

In the following exercises, find the median.

  1. 24 , 19 , 18 , 29 , 21

  2. 48 , 51 , 46 , 42 , 50
  3. 65 , 56 , 35 , 34 , 44 , 39 , 55 , 52 , 45

  4. 121 , 115 , 135 , 109 , 136 , 147 , 127 , 119 , 110
  5. 4 , 8 , 1 , 5 , 14 , 3 , 1 , 12

  6. 3 , 9 , 2 , 6 , 20 , 3 , 3 , 10
  7. 99.2 , 101.9 , 98.6 , 99.5 , 100.8 , 99.8

  8. 28.8 , 32.9 , 32.5 , 27.9 , 30.4 , 32.5 , 31.6 , 32.7
  9. 41 , 45 , 32 , 60 , 58
  10. 25 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 29 , 19 , 18 , 32

Find the Median of a Set of Numbers in Applications

In the following exercises, find the median.

  1. Last week Ray recorded how much he spent for lunch each workday. He spent $6.50 , $7.25 , $4.90 , $5.30 , and $12.00 . Find the median.

  2. Michaela is in charge of 6 two-year olds at a daycare center. Their ages, in months, are 25 , 24 , 28 , 32 , 29 , and 31 . Find the median age.
  3. Brian is teaching a swim class for 6 three-year olds. Their ages, in months, are 38,41,45,36,40,and42. Find the median age.

  4. Sal recorded the amount he spent for gas each week for the past 8 weeks. The amounts were $38.65, $32.18, $40.23, $51.50, $43.68, $30.96, $41.37, and $44.72. Find the median amount.
  5. The ages of the eight men in Jerry’s model train club are 52,63,45,51,55,75,60,and59. Find the median age.
  6. The number of clients at Miranda’s beauty salon each weekday last week were 18,7,12,16,and20. Find the median number of clients.

Identify the Mode of a Set of Numbers

In the following exercises, identify the mode.

  1. 2 , 5 , 1 , 5 , 2 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 2 , 3 , 1

  2. 8 , 5 , 1 , 3 , 7 , 1 , 1 , 7 , 1 , 8 , 7
  3. 18 , 22 , 17 , 20 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 19 , 29 , 18 , 23 , 25 , 22 , 24 , 23 , 22 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 20

  4. 42 , 28 , 32 , 35 , 24 , 32 , 48 , 32 , 32 , 24 , 35 , 28 , 30 , 35 , 45 , 32 , 28 , 32 , 42 , 42 , 30
  5. The number of children per house on one block: 1 , 4 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 2 , 6 , 2 , 4 , 2 , 0 , 3 , 0.

  6. The number of movies watched each month last year: 2 , 0 , 3 , 0 , 0 , 8 , 6 , 5 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3.
  7. The number of units being taken by students in one class: 12 , 5 , 11 , 10 , 10 , 11 , 5 , 11 , 11 , 11 , 10 , 12 .

  8. The number of hours of sleep per night for the past two weeks: 8 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 8 ,
  9. 6 , 6 , 6 , 6 , 9 , 7 , 8 , 8 , 8 .
  10. 6 , 4 , 4,5 , 6,6 , 4 , 4 , 4 , 3 , 5
  11. The number of siblings of a group of students: 2 , 0 , 3 , 2 , 4 , 1 , 6 , 5 , 4 , 1 , 2 , 3

Use the Basic Definition of Probability

In the following exercises, express the probability as both a fraction and a decimal. (Round to three decimal places, if necessary.)

  1. Josue is in a book club with 20 members. One member is chosen at random each month to select the next month’s book. Find the probability that Josue will be chosen next month.

  2. Jessica is one of eight kindergarten teachers at Mandela Elementary School. One of the kindergarten teachers will be selected at random to attend a summer workshop. Find the probability that Jessica will be selected.
  3. There are 24 people who work in Dane’s department. Next week, one person will be selected at random to bring in doughnuts. Find the probability that Dane will be selected. Round your answer to the nearest thousandth.

  4. Monica has two strawberry yogurts and six banana yogurts in her refrigerator. She will choose one yogurt at random to take to work. Find the probability Monica will choose a strawberry yogurt.
  5. Michel has four rock CDs and six country CDs in his car. He will pick one CD to play on his way to work. Find the probability Michel will pick a rock CD.

  6. Noah is planning his summer camping trip. He can’t decide among six campgrounds at the beach and twelve campgrounds in the mountains, so he will choose one campground at random. Find the probability that Noah will choose a campground at the beach.
  7. Donovan is considering transferring to a 4-year college. He is considering 10 out-of state colleges and 4 colleges in his state. He will choose one college at random to visit during spring break. Find the probability that Donovan will choose an out-of-state college.

  8. There are 258,890,850 number combinations possible in the Mega Millions lottery. One winning jackpot ticket will be chosen at random. Brent chooses his favorite number combination and buys one ticket. Find the probability Brent will win the jackpot. Round the decimal to the first digit that is not zero, then write the name of the decimal.
  9. The Sustainability Club sells 200 tickets to a raffle, and Albert buys one ticket. One ticket will be selected at random to win the grand prize. Find the probability Albert will win the grand prize. Express your answer as a fraction and as a decimal.
  10. Luc has to read 3 novels and 12 short stories for his literature class. The professor will choose one reading at random for the final exam. Find the probability that the professor will choose a novel for the final exam. Express your answer as a fraction and as a decimal.

Everyday Math

  1. Joaquin gets paid every Friday. His paychecks for the past 8 Fridays were $315, $236.25, $236.25, $236.25, $315, $315, $236.25, $393.75. Find the ⓐ mean, ⓑ median, and ⓒ mode.

  2. The cash register receipts each day last week at a coffee shop were $1,845, $1,520, $1,438, $1,682, $1,850, $2,721, $2,539. Find the ⓐ mean, ⓑ median, and ⓒ mode.

Writing Exercises

Explain in your own words the difference between the mean, median, and mode of a set of numbers.

Make an example of probability that relates to your life. Write your answer as a fraction and explain what the numerator and denominator represent.

 

Write a Ratio as a Fraction

In the following exercises, write each ratio as a fraction.

  1. 20 to 36

  2. 20 to 32
  3. 42 to 48

  4. 45 to 54
  5. 49 to 21

  6. 56 to 16
  7. 84 to 36

  8. 6.4 to 0.8
  9. 0.56 to 2.8

  10. 1.26 to 4.2
  11. 123 to 256

  12. 134 to 258
  13. 416 to 313

  14. 535 to 335
  15. $18 to $63

  16. $16 to $72
  17. $1.21 to $0.44

  18. $1.38 to $0.69
  19. 28 ounces to 84 ounces

  20. 32 ounces to 128 ounces
  21. 12 feet to 46 feet

  22. 15 feet to 57 feet
  23. 246 milligrams to 45 milligrams

  24. 304 milligrams to 48 milligrams
  25. total cholesterol of 175 to HDL cholesterol of 45

  26. total cholesterol of 215 to HDL cholesterol of 55
  27. 27 inches to 1 foot

  28. 28 inches to 1 foot
  29. 28 to 4056 to 32

  30. 3.5 to 0.5
  31. 1.2 to 1.8

  32. 134to158
  33. 213to514

  34. 64 ounces to 30 ounces
  35. 28 inches to 3 feet

Write a Rate as a Fraction

In the following exercises, write each rate as a fraction.

  1. 140 calories per 12 ounces

  2. 180 calories per 16 ounces
  3. 8.2 pounds per 3 square inches

  4. 9.5 pounds per 4 square inches
  5. 488 miles in 7 hours

  6. 527 miles in 9 hours
  7. $595 for 40 hours

  8. $798 for 40 hours
  9. 180 calories per 8 ounces
  10. 90 pounds per 7.5 square inches

  11. 126 miles in 4 hours
  12. $612.50 for 35 hours

Find Unit Rates

Exercise 1

In the following exercises, find the unit rate. Round to two decimal places, if necessary.

    1. 140 calories per 12 ounces

    2. 180 calories per 16 ounces
    3. 8.2 pounds per 3 square inches

    4. 9.5 pounds per 4 square inches
    5. 488 miles in 7 hours

    6. 527 miles in 9 hours
    7. $595 for 40 hours

    8. $798 for 40 hours
    9. 576 miles on 18 gallons of gas

    10. 435 miles on 15 gallons of gas
    11. 43 pounds in 16 weeks

    12. 57 pounds in 24 weeks
    13. 46 beats in 0.5 minute

    14. 54 beats in 0.5 minute
    15. 180 calories per 8 ounces
    16. 90 pounds per 7.5 square inches

    17. 126 miles in 4 hours
    18. $612.50 for 35 hours

Exercise 2

    1. The bindery at a printing plant assembles 96,000 magazines in 12 hours. How many magazines are assembled in one hour?

    2. The pressroom at a printing plant prints 540,000 sections in 12 hours. How many sections are printed per hour?

Find Unit Price

Exercise 1

In the following exercises, find the unit price. Round to the nearest cent.

    1. Soap bars at 8 for $8.69

    2. Soap bars at 4 for $3.39
    3. Women’s sports socks at 6 pairs for $7.99

    4. Men’s dress socks at 3 pairs for $8.49
    5. Snack packs of cookies at 12 for $5.79

    6. Granola bars at 5 for $3.69
    7. CD-RW discs at 25 for $14.99

    8. CDs at 50 for $4.49
    9. t-shirts: 3 for $8.97
    10. Highlighters: 6 for $2.52

    11. An office supply store sells a box of pens for $11. The box contains 12 pens. How much does each pen cost?
    12. Anna bought a pack of 8 kitchen towels for $13.20. How much did each towel cost? Round to the nearest cent if necessary.

Exercise 2

    1. The grocery store has a special on macaroni and cheese. The price is $3.87 for 3 boxes. How much does each box cost?

    2. The pet store has a special on cat food. The price is $4.32 for 12 cans. How much does each can cost?

Exercise 3

In the following exercises, find each unit price and then identify the better buy. Round to three decimal places.

    1. Mouthwash, 50.7ounce size for $6.99 or 33.8ounce size for $4.79

    2. Toothpaste, 6 ounce size for $3.19 or 7.8ounce size for $5.19
    3. Breakfast cereal, 18 ounces for $3.99 or 14 ounces for $3.29

    4. Breakfast Cereal, 10.7 ounces for $2.69 or 14.8 ounces for $3.69
    5. Ketchup, 40ounce regular bottle for $2.99 or 64ounce squeeze bottle for $4.39

    6. Mayonnaise 15ounce regular bottle for $3.49 or 22ounce squeeze bottle for $4.99
    7. Cheese $6.49 for 1 lb. block or $3.39 for 12 lb. block

    8. Candy $10.99 for a 1 lb. bag or $2.89 for 14 lb. of loose candy
    9. Shampoo: 12 ounces for $4.29 or 22 ounces for $7.29?
    10. Vitamins: 60 tablets for $6.49 or 100 for $11.99?

Translate Phrases to Expressions with Fractions

In the following exercises, translate the English phrase into an algebraic expression.

    1. 793 miles per p hours

    2. 78 feet per r seconds
    3. $3 for 0.5 lbs.

    4. j beats in 0.5 minutes
    5. 105 calories in x ounces

    6. 400 minutes for m dollars
    7. the ratio of y and 5x

    8. the ratio of 12x and y
    9. 535 miles per hhours
    10. a adults to 45 children

    11. the ratio of 4y and the difference of x and 10
    12. the ratio of 19 and the sum of 3 and n

Everyday Math

Everyday math

  1. One elementary school in Ohio has 684 students and 45 teachers. Write the student-to-teacher ratio as a unit rate.

  2. The average American produces about 1,600 pounds of paper trash per year (365 days). How many pounds of paper trash does the average American produce each day? (Round to the nearest tenth of a pound.)
  3. A popular fast food burger weighs 7.5 ounces and contains 540 calories, 29 grams of fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates, and 25 grams of protein. Find the unit rate of ⓐ calories per ounce ⓑ grams of fat per ounce ⓒ grams of carbohydrates per ounce ⓓ grams of protein per ounce. Round to two decimal places.

  4. A 16ounce chocolate mocha coffee with whipped cream contains 470 calories, 18 grams of fat, 63 grams of carbohydrates, and 15 grams of protein. Find the unit rate of ⓐ calories per ounce ⓑ grams of fat per ounce ⓒ grams of carbohydrates per ounce ⓓ grams of protein per ounce.

 

Writing Exercises

  1. Would you prefer the ratio of your income to your friend’s income to be 3/1 or 1/3? Explain your reasoning.
    Answers will vary.
  2. The parking lot at the airport charges $0.75 for every 15 minutes. ⓐ How much does it cost to park for 1 hour? ⓑ Explain how you got your answer to part ⓐ. Was your reasoning based on the unit cost or did you use another method?
  3. Kathryn ate a 4ounce cup of frozen yogurt and then went for a swim. The frozen yogurt had 115 calories. Swimming burns 422 calories per hour. For how many minutes should Kathryn swim to burn off the calories in the frozen yogurt? Explain your reasoning.
    Answers will vary.
  4. Mollie had a 16ounce cappuccino at her neighborhood coffee shop. The cappuccino had 110 calories. If Mollie walks for one hour, she burns 246 calories. For how many minutes must Mollie walk to burn off the calories in the cappuccino? Explain your reasoning.

 

Simplify Expressions with Square Roots

In the following exercises, simplify.

    1. 36

    2. 4
    3. 64

    4. 144
    5. 4

    6. 100
    7. 1

    8. 121
    9. 121

    10. 36
    11. 9

    12. 49
    13. 9+16

    14. 25+144
    15. 9+16

    16. 25+144
    17. 64
    18. 144

    19. 25
    20. 81

    21. 9
    22. 36

    23. 64+225
    24. 64+225

Estimate Square Roots

In the following exercises, estimate each square root between two consecutive whole numbers.

    1. 70

    2. 55
    3. 200

    4. 172
    5. 28
    6. 155

Approximate Square Roots with a Calculator

In the following exercises, use a calculator to approximate each square root and round to two decimal places.

    1. 19

    2. 21
    3. 53

    4. 47
    5. 15
    6. 57

Simplify Variable Expressions with Square Roots

In the following exercises, simplify. (Assume all variables are greater than or equal to zero.)

    1. y2

    2. b2
    3. 49x2

    4. 100y2
    5. 64a2

    6. 25x2
    7. 144x2y2

    8. 196a2b2
    9. q2
    10. 64b2

    11. 121a2
    12. 225m2n2

    13. 100q2
    14. 49y2

    15. 4a2b2
    16. 121c2d2

Use Square Roots in Applications

In the following exercises, solve. Round to one decimal place.

Landscaping Reed wants to have a square garden plot in his backyard. He has enough compost to cover an area of 75 square feet. How long can a side of his garden be?

Landscaping Vince wants to make a square patio in his yard. He has enough concrete to pave an area of 130 square feet. How long can a side of his patio be?

Gravity An airplane dropped a flare from a height of 1,024 feet above a lake. How many seconds did it take for the flare to reach the water?

Gravity A hiker dropped a granola bar from a lookout spot 576 feet above a valley. How long did it take the granola bar to reach the valley floor?

Gravity A hang glider dropped his cell phone from a height of 350 feet. How many seconds did it take for the cell phone to reach the ground?

Gravity A construction worker dropped a hammer while building the Grand Canyon skywalk, 4,000 feet above the Colorado River. How many seconds did it take for the hammer to reach the river?

Accident investigation The skid marks from a car involved in an accident measured 54 feet. What was the speed of the car before the brakes were applied?

Accident investigation The skid marks from a car involved in an accident measured 216 feet. What was the speed of the car before the brakes were applied?

Accident investigation An accident investigator measured the skid marks of one of the vehicles involved in an accident. The length of the skid marks was 175 feet. What was the speed of the vehicle before the brakes were applied?

Accident investigation An accident investigator measured the skid marks of one of the vehicles involved in an accident. The length of the skid marks was 117 feet. What was the speed of the vehicle before the brakes were applied?

  1. Everyday Math

    1. Decorating Denise wants to install a square accent of designer tiles in her new shower. She can afford to buy 625 square centimeters of the designer tiles. How long can a side of the accent be?Decorating Morris wants to have a square mosaic inlaid in his new patio. His budget allows for 2,025 tiles. Each tile is square with an area of one square inch. How long can a side of the mosaic be?

    Writing exercises

    • Why is there no real number equal to 64?
    • What is the difference between 92 and 9?
      Answers will vary. 92 reads: “nine squared” and means nine times itself. The expression 9 reads: “the square root of nine” which gives us the number such that if it were multiplied by itself would give you the number inside of the square root.

     

     

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