What is the maximum number of half-pint bottles of cream that can be filled with a 4-gallon can of cream? (2pt. = 1qt. and 4qt. = 1gal.)
Aptitude
Simplification
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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A16
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B24
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C30
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D64
Answer
Correct Answer: 64
Explanation
### Concept & Strategy
To find the number of bottles that can be filled, you must establish unit consistency. Convert the total volume from gallons into pints before dividing by the volume of a single bottle.
$$Total\ Bottles = \frac{Total\ Volume\ (in\ pints)}{Volume\ per\ Bottle\ (in\ pints)}$$
### Step-by-Step Solution
* **Given:**
* Total volume = 4 gallons
* Bottle capacity = 0.5 pints (half-pint)
* 1 gallon = 4 quarts
* 1 quart = 2 pints
* **Calculation:**
1. First, find how many pints are in a single gallon:
$1\ gallon = 4\ quarts \times 2\ pints/quart = 8\ pints$.
2. Next, calculate the total pints in the 4-gallon can:
$4\ gallons \times 8\ pints/gallon = 32\ pints$.
3. Finally, divide the total pints by the capacity of one bottle:
$32\ pints / 0.5\ pints = 64$ bottles.
### Exam Strategy & Shortcut
You can calculate this purely using multiplier logic without writing equations.
1 gallon contains 8 pints, which equals 16 half-pints.
If 1 gallon fills 16 bottles, then 4 gallons will fill $4 \times 16 = 64$ bottles.
### Common Pitfall
Students often divide by 2 instead of dividing by 0.5 when processing the phrase "half-pint". Dividing 32 by 2 gives 16, which is a distractor option. Remember that dividing by a half is the same as multiplying by 2.
### Final Answer
**Therefore, the correct answer is 64.**