Which statement best describes the total weight of the forequarter and rear-quarter halves combined?

Which statement best describes the total weight of the forequarter and rear-quarter halves combined?

• A. A 734 pounds
• B. B 393 pounds
• C. C 341 pounds
• D. D 1146 pounds

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the forequarter and the rear-quarter halves together make up the whole dressed carcass. If you know the weights of each half, you simply add them to get the total weight of the carcass after dressing. In this problem, those two halves sum to 734 pounds, so that figure represents the total weight when both halves are combined. The other numbers don’t fit because they don’t equal the sum of the two halves for a typical dressed carcass. For example, 1146 pounds would imply a larger carcass than described, while 393 or 341 pounds would be too small to be the combined weight of front and back halves.

The key idea is that the forequarter and the rear-quarter halves together make up the whole dressed carcass. If you know the weights of each half, you simply add them to get the total weight of the carcass after dressing. In this problem, those two halves sum to 734 pounds, so that figure represents the total weight when both halves are combined. The other numbers don’t fit because they don’t equal the sum of the two halves for a typical dressed carcass. For example, 1146 pounds would imply a larger carcass than described, while 393 or 341 pounds would be too small to be the combined weight of front and back halves.