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Original poster

How much did John pay for lentils

57 replies

Dobybert · 17/12/2024 13:01

I'm waiting to hear back from my tutor, for the meantime I would like to hear, how much is it for the canned lentils?

How much did John pay for lentils
OP posts:
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duc748 · 17/12/2024 18:31

It is (ball-park) what lentils cost. The figures should surely be somewhere near realistic. And yes, I've read the whole thread. The question is poorly and ambiguously worded. Rounding up a unit price (87p to £1) is smart thinking if you want an approx total cost by mental arithmetic, but very bad practice from the pure maths point of view.

TeenToTwenties · 17/12/2024 18:25

Viviennemary · 17/12/2024 18:17

Most people are going to realise it's 87p per can. I mean I doubt it's per lentil. Can't see the issue here

Have you read the thread?

Viviennemary · 17/12/2024 18:17

Most people are going to realise it's 87p per can. I mean I doubt it's per lentil. Can't see the issue here

BoobyDazzler · 17/12/2024 18:15

With L2 some answers ask you to estimate some answers. I know this because I’ve just done it.

It was bloody awful 😬

TeenToTwenties · 17/12/2024 18:14

Bjorkdidit · 17/12/2024 18:10

If I were going round the shop keeping a running total I may well say 87p, call it £1, so that's £7

But I'd be thinking 7 x 13 p (the difference between £1 and 87 p) is nearly £1 so that's £6 not £7 (you've more than accounted for the 9 p by calling your £1.90 worth of apples £2).

So there isn't a definitive answer and they need to accept either £6 or £7 or write the question more clearly, depending on what they're actually trying to achieve.

That is true, but with enough shopping buying 6 other things at £1.10 each would counter balance. (And if shopping I prefer to over estimate the price not underestimate.)

Without seeing the exact question I agree it is unclear.
I don't like online maths.

Bjorkdidit · 17/12/2024 18:10

If I were going round the shop keeping a running total I may well say 87p, call it £1, so that's £7

But I'd be thinking 7 x 13 p (the difference between £1 and 87 p) is nearly £1 so that's £6 not £7 (you've more than accounted for the 9 p by calling your £1.90 worth of apples £2).

So there isn't a definitive answer and they need to accept either £6 or £7 or write the question more clearly, depending on what they're actually trying to achieve.

BunnyLake · 17/12/2024 18:10

Jostuki · 17/12/2024 17:52

My father told me that 65% of the lentils they farm go to Asia.
I asked him if they were ori-lentils.

🤓

Show quote history

You’re on a roll tonight 😁

BunnyLake · 17/12/2024 18:09

Fancy using the term picked up for bought, very uneducated way of expressing yourself in a test.

TeenToTwenties · 17/12/2024 18:01

I don't know the L2 FS Maths (yet, may come in 2025), but it seems to me that if you are viewing this as a functional maths / shopping task you would logically round the price of each thing, because it would be an estimation question. No point doing all the detailed calculations then estimating the final sum, if you can do that you might as well add everything up properly.
If I were going round the shop keeping a running total I may well say 87p, call it £1, so that's £7 ....

TomatoAuberginePotatoTurnip · 17/12/2024 17:56

It will be £6.09 and the computer programme will be wrong.

I know this as my son's maths would glitch all the time and it would really piss me off as it makes children very very very confused and frustrated.

Mipil · 17/12/2024 17:56

Can you post the question?

If it says something like John rounds the unit price to the nearest £1 while shopping so he can estimate the total cost and stay in budget, they want you to round 87p to £1. Or does it specify that they want you to round up rather than to the nearest £?

diddl · 17/12/2024 17:52

If everything else is calculated & then rounded up/down why wouldn't lentils be also?

Is it different if something is sold by the unit rather than weight?

Jostuki · 17/12/2024 17:52

catphone · 17/12/2024 17:02

Is this a joke

My father told me that 65% of the lentils they farm go to Asia.
I asked him if they were ori-lentils.

🤓

BoobyDazzler · 17/12/2024 17:51

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

This is really fucking mean.

Jostuki · 17/12/2024 17:51

catphone · 17/12/2024 17:02

Is this a joke

I just found out I'm allergic to legumes
Doctor says it's a lentil illness.

😁

ThereIsALifeOutThere · 17/12/2024 17:50

If you round it as if lentils were a total of £0.87, so rounded to £1, is that still wrong?

Jostuki · 17/12/2024 17:48

catphone · 17/12/2024 17:02

Is this a joke

A man collapsed in the lentil aisle at my local supermarket.
Fortunately, when the paramedics arrived, they found a pulse.

😬

Delphiniumandlupins · 17/12/2024 17:45

It has to be £0.87 per can because you can't divide it by 7.

AdventFridgeOfShame · 17/12/2024 17:40

Lentils at 87p is rounded to £1, so seven tins are £7.
Without the words it is difficult to know what was wanted.

duc748 · 17/12/2024 17:27

However, it's still ambiguous as it doesn't say whether he rounds the total price of each line to add it up, or if he rounds the price per can/kilo and then adds it up.
The first way is mathematically correct and anyone who disagrees shouldn't be teaching maths at any level IMHO.

Yes, surely it's a basic principle in maths that if you're going to do any 'rounding', you do it at the end, to the final answer, not half-way through. Poorly worded and unclear question is the problem here.

menopausalmare · 17/12/2024 17:26

John should have gone to Tesco. They're only 47p per can so he could have bought 12.96 cans for £6.07.

Original poster
Dobybert · 17/12/2024 17:20

Bjorkdidit · 17/12/2024 16:57

Ah, if you need to round it to the nearest £1 (why??) then it's £6. That would explain what the answer above posted by @Garlicwest is doing.

According to the assessment it's still wrong, I'm going to address it with my tutor, I am quite literally stuck before I can even start because of this

OP posts:
marshmallowfinder · 17/12/2024 17:15

kindlyensure · 17/12/2024 13:34

It would irritate me that the money is in £ but the language is American. You could argue that he 'picked up' 7 but might have put 2 back. If it is in Sterling it should be 'bought' .

Also 87p for 7 'cans' is crazy cheap.

All my thoughts too!

Bjorkdidit · 17/12/2024 17:11

https://studyx.ai/homework/101931980-before-checking-out-john-does-some-mental-maths-he-rounds-the-prices-of-his-groceries-to

This is the closest online version of this question I can find.

However, it's still ambiguous as it doesn't say whether he rounds the total price of each line to add it up, or if he rounds the price per can/kilo and then adds it up.

The first way is mathematically correct and anyone who disagrees shouldn't be teaching maths at any level IMHO.

Before checking out John does some mental | StudyX

Click here 👆 to get an answer to your question ✍️Before checking out John does some mental maths he rounds the prices of his groceries to the nearest pound and calculates the approximate amount Fill in the table for John rounding each of the prices...

https://studyx.ai/homework/101931980-before-checking-out-john-does-some-mental-maths-he-rounds-the-prices-of-his-groceries-to

Words · 17/12/2024 17:07

Seven cans of lentils? My god his guts will get a good working over!

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