Statistics South Africa published the following data on urban food price trends for selected wheat products for the period April 2015 to April 2016 - NSC Mathematical Literacy - Question 2 - 2017 - Paper 2

To find Q (the percentage change of white bread 700 g from April 2015 to January 2016), we use the formula:

$Q = \frac{(New Price - Old Price)}{Old Price} \times 100$

Substituting values:

$Q = \frac{(12.03 - 11.16)}{11.16} \times 100 = 7.82\%$

To find E (the average percentage change from April 2015 to April 2016), we calculate the average of the changes:

$E = \frac{1.82 + 5.99 + 2.24 + 3.63 + 2.93 + 7.82 + 10.86 + 3.86}{8}$

Given values:

$E = \frac{37.15}{8} = 4.64\%$(approximately)

For the 600 g loaf, the price remained constant at R11.30 from April 2015 to January 2016. From January 2016 to April 2016, the price increased to R14.40, indicating a significant rise.

For the 700 g loaf, the price increased from R11.16 in April 2015 to R12.03 in January 2016, followed by another increase to R12.80 in April 2016. This trend shows steady growth in prices for both sizes of white bread.

Mr. Mkhize’s household will be affected by the increase in prices of wheat products as his budget may become strained. Since he did not receive a salary increase, he may find it harder to afford the same quantity of bread and other wheat products. This could force him to cut down on other expenses or switch to cheaper alternatives, ultimately affecting his family’s overall nutrition.

To project the price of brown bread for April 2018, we use the inflation rates for 2016 and the projected rate for 2017:

1. Start with the brown bread price in April 2016, which is R6.57.

2. Adjust for 2016 inflation:

   • R6.57 × (1 + 0.066) = R6.57 × 1.066 = R7.01 (roughly).

3. Now adjust for 2017 inflation:

   • R7.01 × (1 + 0.06) = R7.01 × 1.06 = R7.43 (approximately).

Thus, the projected price in April 2018 is around R7.43.

We apply the formula for the volume of a rectangular prism:

$V = L \times W \times H$ Using dimensions L = 690 mm, W = 445 mm, and H = 180 mm,

$V = 690 \times 445 \times 180 = 55,269,000 \, mm³$

To verify if 80 crates can be packed in a 2 m × 2 m area:

1. Convert dimensions to mm: 2 m = 2000 mm.
2. The area of the floor = 2000 mm × 2000 mm = 4,000,000 mm².
3. The area each crate occupies:
   • Base area = 690 mm × 445 mm = 307,050 mm².
4. Number of crates that can fit:
   • Area of store room / Area of one crate = 4,000,000 / 307,050 ≈ 13 crates.

Since 13 crates fit and he has 80 crates, the statement is incorrect.

The formula for break even is:

$Number\ of\ loaves = \frac{FC}{SP - CP}$

Where FC = R1,720.70, SP = R11.50, and CP = R8.36:

1. Calculate SP - CP:
   • R11.50 - R8.36 = R3.14.
2. Now, calculate number of loaves:
   • $Number\ of\ loaves = \frac{1720.70}{3.14} \approx 548.75$.

So, Meloding Supermarket needs to sell at least 549 loaves to break even.