A wheat bag weighs 5 pound and 12 ounces. How much does the bag weigh in pounds?(1 pound = 16 ounces)

Options

A. `5 1/4`
B. `5 1/2`
C. `5 3/4`
D. `6 3/4`

Answer

To solve the problem of converting the weight of a wheat bag from pounds and ounces to just pounds, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the weight given
The weight of the wheat bag is given as 5 pounds and 12 ounces.

### Step 2: Convert ounces to pounds
We know that 1 pound is equal to 16 ounces. Therefore, we need to convert 12 ounces into pounds.

\[ \text{Weight in pounds} = \frac{12 \text{ ounces}}{16 \text{ ounces per pound}} = \frac{12}{16} \text{ pounds} \]

### Step 3: Simplify the fraction
Now, we simplify \(\frac{12}{16}\):

\[ \frac{12}{16} = \frac{3}{4} \text{ pounds} \]

### Step 4: Add the pounds and the converted ounces
Now we add the 5 pounds to the converted ounces (which is now in pounds):

\[ \text{Total weight in pounds} = 5 \text{ pounds} + \frac{3}{4} \text{ pounds} \]

### Step 5: Convert to a mixed number
To add these, we can express 5 pounds as a fraction:

\[ 5 = \frac{20}{4} \]

Now, we add:

\[ \frac{20}{4} + \frac{3}{4} = \frac{20 + 3}{4} = \frac{23}{4} \]

### Step 6: Convert the improper fraction to a mixed number
Now, we convert \(\frac{23}{4}\) into a mixed number:

\[ \frac{23}{4} = 5 \frac{3}{4} \]

### Final Answer
Thus, the weight of the wheat bag in pounds is:

\[ 5 \frac{3}{4} \text{ pounds} \]