The table shows the amount of foreign currency... | Mathematics 0580 | Paper 3 Mock 01 | Calculator (Core)

Question 1 Report

The table shows the amount of foreign currency that is given for $1$ dollar.

Currency	Amount for $1$ dollar
Euro	$0.93$
Pound	$0.79$
Yen	$148$
Rand	$18.6$

(a) Change $\$340$ into pounds. [2]

(b) Change $5550$ yen into dollars. [2]

Answer

The table is read as: $1$ dollar buys $0.79$ pounds, $148$ yen, $0.93$ euros or $18.6$ rand. That single fact decides both parts. Going from dollars into a foreign currency you multiply by the rate; coming back from a foreign currency into dollars you divide by the rate.

(a) Dollars to pounds, so multiply by $0.79$:

\[ 340\times 0.79 \] [M1]

\[ =268.6 \]

$\$340$ is $268.60$ pounds. [A1] Money is written to two decimal places, so $268.60$ rather than $268.6$.

(b) Yen to dollars, so divide by $148$:

\[ 5550\div 148 \] [M1]

\[ =37.5 \]

$5550$ yen is $\$37.50$. [A1]

If you are unsure which way round to go, sanity-check the size of the answer. Since one dollar is worth $148$ yen, a few thousand yen must be only a few tens of dollars, so the answer has to be much smaller than $5550$. Multiplying would have given $821\,400$, which is clearly wrong.

Read lesson note on Fractions, Decimals And Percentages (CIE)

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