Problem 577 - Prealgebra

Question

Ribbon One spool of ribbon is 27 feet. Lizbeth uses 3 feet of ribbon for each gift basket that she wraps. How many gift baskets can Lizbeth wrap from one spool of ribbon?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Lizbeth can wrap 9 gift baskets with one spool of ribbon.

Step 1: Understand the Problem

Lizbeth has 27 feet of ribbon in one spool and she uses 3 feet of ribbon for each gift basket. The objective is to determine how many gift baskets she can wrap with one spool.

Step 2: Set Up the Division

To find out how many gift baskets Lizbeth can wrap, divide the total ribbon available by the amount of ribbon used per gift basket. This can be represented mathematically as: \( \text{Number of gift baskets} = \frac{\text{Total ribbon}}{\text{Ribbon per basket}} \)

Step 3: Perform the Division

Substitute the given values into the formula: \( \text{Number of gift baskets} = \frac{27 \text{ feet}}{3 \text{ feet per basket}} \)

Step 4: Calculate the Result

Divide 27 by 3: \( 27 \text{ feet} \, \big/ \, 3 \text{ feet per basket} = 9 \text{ gift baskets} \) This means Lizbeth can wrap 9 gift baskets with one spool of ribbon.

Key Concepts

basic arithmetic

Basic arithmetic involves fundamental operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In the given exercise, we are dealing with division, which is the process of splitting a number into equal parts. Understanding how to perform division is crucial.

When we say that Lizbeth uses 3 feet of ribbon per gift basket, it means that we need to divide the total length of the ribbon (27 feet) by the length of ribbon used for each basket (3 feet). This division tells us how many equal parts (baskets) we can make from the total ribbon.

problem-solving

Problem-solving is an essential skill that involves understanding the problem, setting up the right mathematical operation, and then solving it step-by-step.

In this problem, Lizbeth has a certain amount of ribbon and needs to figure out how many gift baskets she can wrap. We start by understanding that each gift basket requires a fixed amount of ribbon. The next step is to use division to find out how many of these fixed lengths fit into the total ribbon she has.

By dividing the total ribbon (27 feet) by the ribbon per basket (3 feet), we set up our problem in a way that makes it easy to solve using division.

mathematical reasoning

Mathematical reasoning allows us to think logically about numbers and operations to arrive at accurate answers.

In this exercise, it's important to reason why we are using division. Since each basket requires an equal amount of ribbon, and since we know the total amount of ribbon, division helps us determine how many times we can repeat the process of cutting ribbon for one basket from the total ribbon available.

Performing the division, we see that 27 divided by 3 equals 9, meaning Lizbeth can create 9 equally wrapped gift baskets from one spool of ribbon. Confirming this through reasoning ensures our understanding and accuracy in solving similar problems in the future.