ExpertMedium3 marksStructured
AQA GCSE · Question 08 · Number
• A pack of pegs costs 40p
• A bar of soap costs £2.20
• A basket costs £7
Dan buys two packs of pegs, one bar of soap and one basket.
What fraction of the total cost is the cost of the basket?
• A pack of pegs costs 40p
• A bar of soap costs £2.20
• A basket costs £7
Dan buys two packs of pegs, one bar of soap and one basket.
What fraction of the total cost is the cost of the basket?
How to approach this question
1. Calculate the cost of two packs of pegs.
2. Calculate the total cost of all the items Dan buys. Make sure all costs are in the same units (either pounds or pence).
3. Write a fraction with the cost of the basket as the numerator and the total cost as the denominator.
4. Simplify the fraction if necessary.
Full Answer
7/10
Working:
Cost of pegs: 2 × 40p = 80p
Cost of soap: £2.20
Cost of basket: £7.00
Total cost = 80p + £2.20 + £7.00
Convert all to pounds: £0.80 + £2.20 + £7.00 = £10.00
OR convert all to pence: 80p + 220p + 700p = 1000p
Fraction = (Cost of basket) / (Total cost)
Fraction = £7 / £10 = 7/10
OR
Fraction = 700p / 1000p = 700/1000 = 7/10
**Step 1: Calculate the cost of each item type.**
- **Pegs:** Dan buys two packs at 40p each.
Cost = 2 × 40p = 80p.
- **Soap:** One bar costs £2.20.
- **Basket:** One basket costs £7.
**Step 2: Calculate the total cost.**
To add these amounts, we must use the same units. Let's use pounds (£).
- Cost of pegs = 80p = £0.80
- Cost of soap = £2.20
- Cost of basket = £7.00
Total cost = £0.80 + £2.20 + £7.00 = £10.00
**Step 3: Write the fraction.**
The question asks for the fraction of the total cost that is the cost of the basket.
Fraction = (Cost of basket) / (Total cost)
Fraction = £7.00 / £10.00
**Step 4: Simplify the fraction.**
Fraction = 7/10.
This fraction is already in its simplest form.
The answer is 7/10.
Common mistakes
✗ Mixing up units (e.g., adding 80p and £2.20 to get 82.20).
✗ Putting the total cost as the numerator of the fraction.
✗ Forgetting to calculate the cost of *two* packs of pegs.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Maths Foundation Tier Paper 3 Calculator
43 questions · hints · full answers · grading
More questions from this exam
Q01.1A village has four bus stops. The bar chart shows information about the people at the bus stops a...EasyQ01.2Using the bar chart from the previous question, how many more people were at the School bus stop ...EasyQ02Here are four temperatures in degrees C:
-5, 3, -7, -1
Write the temperatures in order, starting ...EasyQ03.1Here are the first three terms of a linear sequence:
5, 11, 17
Write down the next term.EasyQ03.2The first three terms of a linear sequence are 5, 11, 17.
Describe the term-to-term rule.Easy