Real-Life Math
Killer whales are big. Real big. The average male killer whale is
22 to 27 feet long and weighs between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds.
Females
can grow between 17 and 24 feet and tip the scales at 3,000 to 8,000 pounds.
The
largest male killer whale weighed over 21,000 pounds.
Needless to say,
these large whales eat lots of fish. How much? That's for you to decide. As
a killer whale trainer, you are responsible for keeping your whale well fed.
Adult
killer whales eat 8 percent of their body weight in fresh fish every week.
You order the fish every 3 weeks.
Your killer whale trainee weighs
8,500 pounds. How much fish will you need to order for the next 3 weeks?
The
fish are delivered by trucks that can carry 1,500 pounds each. How many trucks
will it take to deliver the fish?