If a bookshelf is 2 8/1 inches long, how many 1 7/8 inch thick books will it hold? =
To find the number of books the bookshelf will hold, we need to divide the length of the bookshelf by the thickness of each book.
To divide a mixed number by a fraction, we first need to convert the mixed number into an improper fraction.
The length of the bookshelf is 2 8/1 inches, which is equivalent to 16/1 + 8/1 = 24/1 inches.
So, the bookshelf is 24/1 inches long.
Now, we divide 24/1 by 1 7/8.
To divide by a fraction, we multiply by its reciprocal.
The reciprocal of 1 7/8 is 8/15.
So, 24/1 ÷ 1 7/8 = 24/1 × 8/15
Multiplying the numerators and denominators gives:
24/1 × 8/15 = (24 × 8) / (1 × 15) = 192/15
Therefore, the bookshelf will hold 192/15 or 12 12/15 or 12 4/5 or 12.8 books.
So, the bookshelf will hold approximately 12.8 books.