A veterinary technician inventories medication containers and counts 1,137 safety-lock containers, 963 easy-open containers, 413 15 mL bottles, 1,265 30 mL bottles, and 258 ointment containers. What is the total number of containers?

• A. 4000 containers
• B. 1457 containers
• C. 3000 containers
• D. 4036 containers

Answer: (D)

When tallying total containers, add together each category because every item belongs to one type and there’s no overlap. Start with 1,137 safety-lock containers and 963 easy-open containers: that sum is 2,100. Adding 413 of the 15 mL bottles brings you to 2,513. Add 1,265 of the 30 mL bottles to reach 3,778. Finally, adding 258 ointment containers gives a total of 4,036 containers. The exact total is 4,036; other answers would result from omitting a category or mis-summing.