Help please!! PEMDAS *Order of operations

Question

All the 8th graders at a Middle School will go on a field trip to the science museum. 

The bus will carry the students, teachers, and parent volunteers. 

There are 9 classes of 25 students each, 4 teachers, and 2 times as many parent volunteers as teachers.

Each bus holds a total of 45 people.

What is the least number of buses needed for the field trip?

Answer 1

"9 classes of 25 students each" means there are 9•25 or 225 students

Since there are 4 teachers, there must be 8 parent volunteers so the total number going is:

225 + 4 + 8 = 237.

237/45 = 5.267

Since we cannot have 0.267th of a bus, the least number of buses is 6

Answer 2

So we need to figure out the total number of people going on this trip to then be able to figure out how many buses are needed.

We have 9 classes of 25 students each so 9x25 or 225 students. We have 4 teachers and 2 times as many parent volunteers as teachers. If there are 4 teachers then 2x4 = 8 parent volunteers. Therefore the total number of people going are 225 + 4 + 8 = 237. Each bus can hold 45 people. We take 237 divided by 45 and get 5.267 which means 6 buses minimum would be needed.

Answer 3

9 classes of 25 students each

4 teachers

twice as many parent volunteers as teachers: 4x2= 8

each bus holds maximum 45 people

what is the fewest number of buses needed?

total 9x25 +4+2x4 = 225+4+8= 237 persons

5 buses accomodate 5x45 =225

6 buses accomodate 6x45= 270

237/45 = about 5.27

they need at least 6 buses

with just 5, that would leave 237/5 = 47 per bus with another 2 persons left over

with just 45 per bus that leaves 12 extra people

cram or squeeze 2 extra people in 3 buses, and cram 3 extra people in 2 buses and they could get by with 5 buses

but safety regulations probably could be a serious problem, or the teachers could sneak on the extra people, so the driver doesn't report them. But that would be unethical, illegal,unsafe, & not advisable. But maybe the principal only funds 5 buses, and tells the teachers to figure out a way to get everyone on the 5 buses. You really only need one teacher or parent volunteer per bus, so instead of 4+8, all you need is 5. 12-5 =7. that cuts down the extra people to just 5. sneak one extra student on each of the 5 buses, for a total 46 x5 = 230. of the original 237 who planned to go, 7 parent volunteers don't go. so they get disappointed, but come up with some good excuse why, so they don't squeal and complain. Such is what happens with budgetary contraints. They have to cut corners. Or since those 7 parents likely drove to the school, they can follow the buses and drive their own cars, and even take their own child with them, reducing the number of cars needed. Offer to pay them for gas money and they'll be happy. They may never have wanted to supervise any kids on the bus anyway, and two would have had to, if there were 6 buses and only 4 teachers.

Or a couple of the teachers could drive and solve the problem that way.

But the answer your math instructor wants is most likley 6 buses. Unless s/he is one of the 4 teachers in this bus trip, trying to get along with the principal who's pushing for 5 buses. . 237/6= 39 1/2 persons per bus. 39 on some, 40 on the others.

NOT sure what this question has to do with PEMDAS though, the arithmetic order of operations. Which suggests maybe there's more information to this problem. that phrase "2 times the number of teachers" looks a little suspicious, as if it may mean more than just 2x4 = 8 parent volunteers.

another ambiguity in the question is: does the 45 maximum include the driver? Although that doesn't seem to make any difference between 5 or 6 buses. IF some of the teachers or parent volunteers had a drivers license allowing them to drive a bus, that might be another alternative to get more people on

if 45 doesn't include the driver, then 5 buses could be driven by 5 teachers and parent volunteers

that means 237-5 = 232 which is just 7 over the limit of 5x45=225. Just 2 cars could plus 5 buses could handle everyone. OR get the principal to drive. He probably has a larger car or van available and could get all 7 in,

then 5 buses is enough.

Last trivial note: buses is the preferred from of the plural of bus. Until 1961 the preferred plural form was "busses," Today that's so rarely used, most people view it as an error although it is a 2nd correct way to spell it, according to many dictionaries today. But it is getting to be viewed as a more archaic form.

Likely Expected Answer: 6 buses