Pamela used 3/4 m of ribbon to make 10 birthday cards . How much ribbon does she use for each card ?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
To determine how much ribbon Pamela used for each birthday card, we can follow these steps:
- Identify the total amount of ribbon used: Pamela used ( \frac{3}{4} ) meters of ribbon to make 10 birthday cards.
- Divide the total ribbon by the number of cards: To find the amount of ribbon used per card, we divide the total ribbon by the number of cards: [
\text{Ribbon per card} = \frac{\text{Total ribbon}}{\text{Number of cards}} = \frac{3/4 \text{ m}}{10}
] This can be calculated as follows: [
\frac{3/4}{10} = \frac{3}{4} \times \frac{1}{10} = \frac{3}{40}
] So, Pamela used ( \frac{3}{40} ) meters of ribbon for each birthday card.
Explanation:
To break this down further, let’s analyze the steps involved in the calculation:
- Understanding Fractions: The ribbon length of ( \frac{3}{4} ) meters represents a fraction of a whole meter. To work with fractions, it is essential to maintain a common denominator when performing operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.
- Dividing Fractions: Dividing by a whole number, in this case, involves converting the whole number (10) into a fraction ((\frac{10}{1})). The rule for dividing fractions is to multiply by the reciprocal. So, ( \frac{3}{4} ) divided by ( 10 ) is calculated by multiplying ( \frac{3}{4} ) by ( \frac{1}{10} ).
- Calculating the Result: The multiplication of the numerators (3 and 1) gives 3, and the multiplication of the denominators (4 and 10) gives 40. Therefore, the result is ( \frac{3}{40} ) meters.
- Practical Interpretation: Each card requires ( \frac{3}{40} ) meters of ribbon. This can be useful for planning future projects, as it allows Pamela to estimate how much ribbon she would need based on the number of cards she plans to create.
Thus, Pamela uses ( \frac{3}{40} ) meters of ribbon for each birthday card.