Carly is making three cakes for the bake sale. the second cake requires 1/2 cups more flour than the first cake the third cake requires twice the amount of flour as the first cake the two pound bag of flour she bought has 8 1/2 cups exactly the she needs how much flour is needed for each cake.

First cake requires x cups of flour.

Second cake: x + 1/2

Third cake: 2x

2 pound bag has 8 1/2 cups and it's exactly what Carly needs, so we can write it down as:

8 1/2 = x + x + 1/2 + 2x

8 1/2 = 2x + 1/2 + 2x

8 1/2 = 4x + 1/2 / - 1/2 (both sides)

8 = 4x / : 4 (both sides)

x = 2

Doublecheck:

2 + 2 + 1/2 + 2 * 2 =

= 2 + 2 + 1/2 + 4 =

= 4 + 1/2 + 4 =

= 8 + 1/2 =

= 8 1/2

It's the same, so it must be correct; )

Answer: Carly needs 2 cups of flour for each cake.