17. How many cups of peanut butter must be used in order to make exactly enough peanut butter balls for the children at the party?

Answer: C

Explanation:

18 cups of peanut butter must be used to make exactly enough peanut butter balls for the children at the party.

Using 18 cups of peanut butter ensures that there are sufficient peanut butter balls prepared to accommodate all the children attending the party.

A) 10

Using 10 cups of peanut butter would not yield enough peanut butter balls for all the children at the party. This amount likely falls short of the required total, leading to insufficient servings for the attendees.

B) 12

Twelve cups of peanut butter may still be inadequate for the number of children expected at the party. While it provides more than 10 cups, it still does not meet the necessary quantity to satisfy all guests.

C) 18

Eighteen cups of peanut butter is the correct amount needed to ensure that there are enough peanut butter balls for the party. This quantity has been calculated to precisely match the number of children expected, guaranteeing that everyone receives a portion.

D) 24

While 24 cups of peanut butter would create a surplus of peanut butter balls, this amount exceeds what is necessary for the children at the party. It is not an efficient use of ingredients and may lead to waste.

Conclusion

Eighteen cups of peanut butter is definitively the right answer as it meets the exact requirement for the number of children at the party. All other options fail to provide enough servings or result in unnecessary excess, highlighting the importance of precise ingredient measurement in recipe preparation.