(i know i asked this already, but can someone ! )
the hikers plan to visit a scenic lookout. they will rest after they hike 2 miles. then they will hike the remaining 1 3/4 miles to the lookout. the trail
the hikers will use to return from the lookout is 1/2 mile shorter than the trail they will use to go to the lookout. each hiker will bring 1/4 gallon of water for each mile to and from the lookout.
1. determine the total distance each hiker will hike. show your work or explain your answer.
2. determine the total number of gallons of water each hiker will bring. show your
work or explain your answer.

What we have to work with. We change the fractions to decimals. 3/4=0.75  1/2 = 0.5 1/4= 0.25

2miles + 1.75miles = 3.75miles(path there)
3.75miles - 0.5miles = 3.25miles (path back) 
(you would divide 7 miles (3.75miles + 3.25miles = 7miles) by how many hikers there are to figure out how many miles each hiker has hiked since I don't know how many hikers there are)

3.75miles + 3.25miles = 7miles
7miles/0.25miles = 28 gallons
28 gallons of water that the hikers bring (you would divide this by how many hikers there are to figure out how many gallons each hiker has since I don't know how many hikers there are)

Path there = 3.75
Path back = 3.25
Gallons of water = 28 gallons

Hope this helps. :)

The answer should be 5.