A teacher handed out m notebooks in packs of c notebooks each. How many packs were there?
The correct answer and explanation is:
To find the number of packs, we use the formula: Number of Packs=mc\text{Number of Packs} = \frac{m}{c}
Where:
- mm is the total number of notebooks handed out.
- cc is the number of notebooks in each pack.
Example:
Let’s say the teacher handed out 120 notebooks, and each pack contained 10 notebooks. The calculation would be: Number of Packs=12010=12\text{Number of Packs} = \frac{120}{10} = 12
So, in this example, the teacher handed out 12 packs.
Explanation:
The formula mc\frac{m}{c} comes from the fact that if the total number of notebooks is divided by the number of notebooks per pack, it gives the total number of packs. This assumes that the teacher evenly distributed the notebooks and that the number of notebooks in each pack is consistent.
This is a simple division problem that can be applied in a variety of situations, such as when organizing items into groups or distributing resources equally. If the total number of notebooks or the number of notebooks per pack changes, you can adjust the calculation accordingly.
In practical terms, if the division doesn’t result in a whole number, it means the teacher may have some leftover notebooks that don’t fit into a full pack. For example, if there were 125 notebooks and 10 per pack, the result would be 12.5 packs. This means 12 full packs and 1 pack that is only partially filled.