🇺🇸 AMC 8 ⇄ switch contest
2020 AMC 8

Problem 5

Problem 5 · 2020 AMC 8 Easy
Fractions, Decimals & Percents fraction-to-decimalpercent-multiplier

Three fourths of a pitcher is filled with pineapple juice. The pitcher is emptied by pouring an equal amount of juice into each of 5 cups. What percent of the total capacity of the pitcher did each cup receive?

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Answer: C — 15%.
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Hint 1 of 2
The question asks for a percent of the whole pitcher, not of the juice. So divide the 34 that's there among 5 cups — each share is still measured against the full pitcher.
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Hint 2 of 2
Each cup gets 34 ÷ 5 = 320 of the pitcher. To make a percent, rewrite it with denominator 100.
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Approach: split the fraction, then scale to /100
  1. Each cup gets 34 ÷ 5 = 320 of the whole pitcher (the “of the pitcher” never goes away).
  2. Percent means “out of 100,” so scale the denominator to 100: 320 = 15100 = 15%.
  3. Sanity check: 5 cups × 15% = 75%, exactly the 34 we poured. The shares add back to the whole.
Another way — percent first, then split:
  1. 34 of the pitcher is 75%.
  2. Five equal cups means each gets 75% ÷ 5 = 15%.
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