how many pieces of wood each 7 1/2 inches long can be cut from a board that is 45 inches long?
45 / 7.5 = 6
To find the number of pieces that can be cut from a board of a certain length, you need to divide the total length of the board by the length of each piece.
In this case, you have a board that is 45 inches long and each piece you want to cut is 7 1/2 inches long. To simplify the calculation, let's convert the mixed number 7 1/2 to an improper fraction.
7 1/2 is the same as 15/2 because there are 2 halves in a whole and you have 7 whole units.
Now, divide the length of the board (45 inches) by the length of each piece (15/2 inches) using division of fractions:
45 ÷ (15/2)
To divide by a fraction, you can multiply by its reciprocal:
45 × (2/15)
Now simplify the expression:
3 × 2 = 6
5 × 15 = 75
So, the answer is:
6 pieces of wood, each 7 1/2 inches long, can be cut from a board that is 45 inches long.