Math Problem of the Week - Middle School - Nov. 28, 2021 to Dec. 4, 2021

Middle School: 

Question: Esme makes a dollhouse that is a perfect miniature of her own farmhouse. The farmhouse is 12 yards wide. The dollhouse is 18 inches wide. What are the dimensions of a miniature refrigerator that goes inside of the dollhouse if the real-life refrigerator in the farmhouse is 3 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and 5 feet tall?

Answer:  1½ inches × 1 inch × 2½ inches

Solution:  Twelve yards is 36 feet, and 18 inches is 1½ feet. So, the dimensions of the farmhouse are 36 ÷ 1½ = 24 times the dimensions of the dollhouse. To find the dimensions of the miniature refrigerator, we divide by 24:

 3 feet (36 inches) divided by 24 is 1½ inches.

 2 feet (24 inches) divided by 24 is 1 inch.

 5 feet (60 inches) divided by 24 is 2½ inches.