Question

apply animal care a veterinarian measures the changes in a cat’s weight over four months. if the cat weighed 17.25 pounds at its first visit, what is the cat’s weight after its last visit?

month	change from previous month (lb)
2	$-2\frac{1}{5}$
3	$-\frac{3}{10}$
4	0.35

Explanation:

Step1: Convert mixed numbers to decimals

First, convert \(-2\frac{1}{5}\) to decimal: \(-2\frac{1}{5} = -2 - \frac{1}{5} = -2 - 0.2 = -2.2\)
Convert \(-\frac{3}{10}\) to decimal: \(-\frac{3}{10} = -0.3\)

Step2: Sum the weight changes

The initial weight is \(17.25\) lb. The changes are \(-0.5\) (Month 1), \(-2.2\) (Month 2), \(-0.3\) (Month 3), and \(0.35\) (Month 4).
Sum the changes: \(-0.5 + (-2.2) + (-0.3) + 0.35\)
First, \(-0.5 - 2.2 = -2.7\)
Then, \(-2.7 - 0.3 = -3.0\)
Then, \(-3.0 + 0.35 = -2.65\)

Step3: Calculate the final weight

Add the total change to the initial weight: \(17.25 + (-2.65) = 17.25 - 2.65 = 14.6\)

Answer:

The cat's weight after its last visit is \(\boldsymbol{14.6}\) pounds.