The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Each teacher gets 2/3 of a pack of paper.
This problem is a fundamental exercise in division, where a total quantity must be distributed evenly among a set number of recipients. To find the portion of paper each teacher receives, we must divide the total number of paper packs, which is 2, by the total number of teachers, which is 3.
The calculation for this is 2 divided by 3, which is written mathematically as 2 ÷ 3. In arithmetic, this division is most accurately represented as the fraction 2/3. This fraction provides the exact answer to the sharing problem. The denominator of the fraction, 3, signifies the number of equal parts the whole is being divided into, corresponding to the three teachers. The numerator, 2, represents the number of items being shared, which are the two packs of paper. Therefore, each teacher’s share is two thirds of a pack.
To visualize this solution, imagine the two packs of paper laid out. Since there are more teachers than packs, no teacher can receive a full pack. A fair way to distribute them is to treat each pack separately. Take the first pack and divide it into three equal portions. Each of the three teachers receives one of these portions, which is 1/3 of the first pack. Then, repeat the exact same process with the second pack of paper. It is also divided into three equal portions, and each teacher receives another 1/3 portion. By combining the shares from both packs, each teacher accumulates a total of 1/3 plus 1/3, which equals 2/3 of a pack.
This method ensures that the entire quantity of two packs is distributed completely and equitably. The answer 2/3 is not an approximation; it is the precise amount of paper that each teacher gets, illustrating how fractions are essential for solving division problems that do not result in whole numbers.
