Ginger's cat gave birth to a kitten that weighed [tex]\(3 \frac{3}{8}\)[/tex] ounces when it was born. On the day Ginger sold the kitten, it weighed [tex]\(5 \frac{1}{2}\)[/tex] ounces. How many ounces did the kitten gain before it went home with its new owner?

A. [tex]\(3 \frac{3}{8}\)[/tex] ounces
B. [tex]\(2 \frac{3}{8}\)[/tex] ounces
C. [tex]\(2 \frac{1}{8}\)[/tex] ounces
D. [tex]\(3 \frac{1}{8}\)[/tex] ounces



Answer :

To determine how many ounces the kitten gained before it went home with its new owner, let's follow these steps:

1. Initial Weight of the Kitten:
The initial weight of the kitten was [tex]\( 3 \frac{3}{8} \)[/tex] ounces.
Let's convert this mixed number to an improper fraction:
[tex]\[ 3 \frac{3}{8} = 3 + \frac{3}{8} = \frac{24}{8} + \frac{3}{8} = \frac{24 + 3}{8} = \frac{27}{8} \][/tex]
Converting [tex]\(\frac{27}{8}\)[/tex] to a decimal:
[tex]\[ \frac{27}{8} = 3.375 \text{ ounces} \][/tex]

2. Final Weight of the Kitten:
The final weight of the kitten was [tex]\( 5 \frac{1}{2} \)[/tex] ounces.
Similarly, let's convert this mixed number to an improper fraction:
[tex]\[ 5 \frac{1}{2} = 5 + \frac{1}{2} = \frac{10}{2} + \frac{1}{2} = \frac{10 + 1}{2} = \frac{11}{2} \][/tex]
Converting [tex]\(\frac{11}{2}\)[/tex] to a decimal:
[tex]\[ \frac{11}{2} = 5.5 \text{ ounces} \][/tex]

3. Calculate the Weight Gain:
To find out how much weight the kitten gained, subtract the initial weight from the final weight:
[tex]\[ \text{Weight Gain} = \text{Final Weight} - \text{Initial Weight} \][/tex]
Substituting the decimal values:
[tex]\[ 5.5 - 3.375 = 2.125 \text{ ounces} \][/tex]

4. Convert the Weight Gain Back to a Mixed Number:
To convert the decimal result back to a mixed number, we recognize that:
[tex]\[ 2.125 = 2 + 0.125 = 2 + \frac{1}{8} = 2 \frac{1}{8} \][/tex]

So, the kitten gained [tex]\( 2 \frac{1}{8} \)[/tex] ounces before it went home with its new owner.

The correct answer is:
C. [tex]\( 2 \frac{1}{8} \)[/tex] ounces

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