Question 5

We need to convert between different types of money.

Step 1 — Cowrie shells to copper panas We know how many cowrie shells make one copper pana. One copper pana is equal to 30 cowrie shells. We want to find out how much one cowrie shell is. So, we divide 1 copper pana by 30.

$1 \text{ cowrie shell} = \frac{1}{30} \text{ copper panas}$

$\boxed{1 \text{ cowrie shell} = \frac{1}{30} \text{ copper panas}}$

Step 2 — Cowrie shells to gold dinars Now we know one cowrie shell in copper panas. We also know copper panas in gold dinars. One copper pana is equal to $\frac{1}{48}$ gold dinar. We will use this gold dinar value. We multiply the two fractions together.

$1 \text{ cowrie shell} = \frac{1}{30} \times \left(\frac{1}{48} \text{ gold dinar}\right)$

$= \frac{1 \times 1}{30 \times 48} \text{ gold dinar}$

$= \frac{1}{1440} \text{ gold dinar}$

$\boxed{1 \text{ cowrie shell} = \frac{1}{1440} \text{ gold dinar}}$

Answer

(i) 1 cowrie shell = $\frac{1}{30}$ copper panas (ii) 1 cowrie shell = $\frac{1}{1440}$ gold dinar