Thomas has a piece of cord 12 1/3 feet long to make bracelets each bracelet requires 2 3/4 feet of cord how many bracelets can he make

Question

Show work please

Answer 1

If take the whole length 12-1/3 and divide it by how much material you need for each bracelet (2-3/4) you will know how many bracelets can be made. 

 

First step is to convert from mixed numbers to fractions.  

 

12 1/3 = (12)(3)+1 over 3 =37/3

2 3/4 = (2)(4)+3 over 4 = 11/4

 

To divide fractions (my students taught me this) you "Keep, Switch, Flip"

 

Keep the first number (37/3)

Switch from divide to multiply

Flip the second fraction (11/4)

 

So to divide (37/3)÷(11/4), we really need to

multiply (37/3) * (4/11)

 

To multiply fractions:  top * top, bottom * bottm

 

So this becomes

(37)(4) / (3)(11) =

148/33

 

Final answer:  148/33