Answer:
Up to 39 shortbread cookies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Start by considering: how many cookies can Ramon make if
- Flouring runs out first,
- Sugar runs out first, and
- Butter runs out first?
Assume that flour runs out before the other two ingredients. How many cookies can Ramon make?
It takes 1 1/2 = 3/2 cups of flour to bake fifteen cookies. 5 cups of flour is available. How many batches of fifteen cookies will that 5 cups of flour make?
.
That's
.
Similarly, assume that sugar runs out before the other two ingredients. How many cookies can Ramon make?
It takes one cup of sugar to bake fifteen cookies. 4 cups of sugar is available. That 4 cups of sugar will make up to four batches of fifteen cookies. That's 60 cookies.
Assume that butter runs out before the other two ingredient. How many cookies can Ramon make?
It takes 1 1/4 = 5/4 cups of butter to bake fifteen cookies. 13/4 cups of butter is available. That 13/4 cups of butter will make up to 13/5 batches of fifteen cookies. That's
.
These three numbers differ. How many cookies will these materials actually make? The ingredient that will make the smallest number of cookies will run out before other ingredients. In this case, butter runs out first. These materials will make up to 39 shortbread cookies.