How many bows can you make from #3 2/3# meters of ribbon if #1/4# of a meter of ribbon makes one bow?

Question

Avery Alexander · Accepted Answer

undefined You can make approximately 14 bows from 3 2/3 meters of ribbon.

Eva Abramson · Answer

You can make 14 bows. with some ribbon left over

There are two ways that students can TEACH THEMSELVES how to go about solving confusing problems like this. #color(white)(mmmmmmmm)#Self-teaching Method One #"Drastically simplify the problem"# 1) Simplify the problem so that it is obvious #"how to"# solve it. 2) Then use the exact same method to solve the hard problem Here is a #"Drastically simplified"# re-write of this problem: You have ONE yard of fabric It takes 1/2 a yard to make a bow How many bows can you make? You obviously know that you can make #2# bows. Here is how you automatically solved it in your head: You thought "One yard divided into half-yard pieces" #1 -: "1/2" = 2# (To divide fractions, you multiply by the reciprocal of the divisor) This easy problem SELF-TAUGHT you the correct procedure: #"Divide the total length by the length of each bow"# #3 (2)/(3) -: (1)/(4)# Now multiply by the reciprocal of the divisor #(11)/(3) xx (4)/(1)# You can make 14 bows. with some ribbon left over #larr# Answer #color(white)(mmmmmmmm)#―――――――――――― #color(white)(mmmmmmmm)#Self-Teaching Method Two #"Change the problem to money"# People have good intuition when it comes to money, so re-writing a word problem as a money problem can let you see how to solve it. #"You have $3.66. How many times can you spend 25ȼ?"# This re-write is exactly the same as "You have 3 2/3 yards. How many times can you use 1/4 yard?" Probably you solved the money problem by thinking: "I can get four quarters out of each of the three dollars. Then I can get two more quarters out of the 66ȼ. So I can make 4 bows from each of the 3 yards, and two more bows from the 2/3 of a yard That comes to (4)(3) + 2 You can make 14 bows, with some ribbon left over #larr# Same answer