Question

A cotton candy vendor has 22 cones of blue cotton candy to sell. If the blue cotton candy is 50% of the total number of cones, how many total cotton candy cones does he have?

Answer 1

50% is another way of writing 0.50 or 1/2.

Blue cotton candy is 50%, there are 22 blues, therefore 22 is 50% of the total number.

Using algebra,
0.50x=22
X=44

Another way to think about this is simply to consider that 50% is half, and if 22 is half then one need only multiply by two to get the whole.

Answer 2

44. You can come to this answer by using algebra,
1/2x = 22
Multiply both sides by 2(denominator) thus,
X = 44.
Or you can use lateral thinking and realise that if 22 is 50%, you need to multiply by 2 to reach 100%.