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, we apply the formula:

$Q = \frac{R11.50 - R10.88}{R10.88} \times 100$

a) Substituting the values:

$Q = \frac{0.62}{10.88} \times 100 = 5.70$

Alternatively, using:

$Q = R11.00 imes (1 + 0.057) = R11.00 imes 1.057 = R11.57$

To calculate E, we use values from Apr. 2015 and Jan. 2016:

$E = R9.49 + 12.71 + 5.99 + 2.20 + 6.18 + 5.44 + 10.77 + 15.64$

Calculating gives:

$E = 9.64$

The prices of white bread showed an increase over time. From Apr. 2015 to Jan. 2016, the price of 600 g white bread increased from R11.00 to R11.23 (approx. 2.09% increase). For the next period, Jan. 2016 to Apr. 2016, the price remained constant at R11.23 for 600 g, while the price of the 700 g loaf increased significantly, indicating rising costs and possibly inflation within the bread market.

Mr. Mkhize's household would face financial strain due to rising wheat product prices without a corresponding salary increase. This means he will need to allocate more of his budget towards purchasing the same quantity of bread, possibly reducing expenses on other necessities. Consequently, he may need to adjust his spending habits or reduce the quantity of wheat products he can afford.

To calculate the projected price, we first consider the inflation rates. The 2016 price of brown bread (600 g) was R6.34. Applying a 6% inflation rate for 2017:

$2017: R6.34 imes (1 + 0.06) = R6.34 imes 1.06 = R6.72$

Now, for 2018 with a projected inflation of 6% again:

$2018: R6.72 imes (1 + 0.06) = R6.72 imes 1.06 = R7.11$

Thus, the projected price of brown bread in April 2018 would be approximately R7.11.