Kamal has to fill the same measuring cup 8 times to get 2 liters of water. How many milliliters of water does the cup hold?

2 Answers
Nov 10, 2016

250 ml

Explanation:

2 litres = 2000 ml

2000/8 = 25020008=250

Nov 13, 2016

Further explanation (expansion) on the solution by SS. Showing where his shortcut method comes from.

Explanation:

Although it does not look as though people are using ratio when solving this type of question they are.

Initial condition expressed as a ratio in fraction form gives:

("2 Litres")/("8 cups")" "2 Litres8 cups this is stating that for every 8 cups we have 2 litres

The change required is that we have millilitres and 1 cup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Dealing with the millilitres first")Dealing with the millilitres first

Known that 1 Litre = 1000 millilitres

So 2 Litres = 2000 millilitres

The actual volume has not changed, just the units of measurement. So we now have:

("2000 millilitres")/("8 cups")2000 millilitres8 cups
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
color(blue)("Dealing with the 8 cups")Dealing with the 8 cups

As this is a ratio we need to maintain proportionality.

So if we reduce the count of cups we need to reduce the count of millilitres by an appropriate a mount.

To change 8 cups into 1 cup divide by 8. For multiply or divide in ratios what you do the bottom you do to the top.

Divide top and bottom by 8

("2000 millilitres")/("8 cups") ->(color(red)("2000 millilitres"-:8))/("8 cups"-:8) 2000 millilitres8 cups2000 millilitres÷88 cups÷8

" "color(red)(uarr)

color(red)("The bit in red is where the shortcut comes from")The bit in red is where the shortcut comes from

=(250" millilitres")/(1" cup")=250 millilitres1 cup

So 1 cup holds 250 millilitres