Question

kayla has $2\frac{1}{2}$ yards of ribbon to make bows. each bow is made from a piece of ribbon that is $\frac{1}{5}$ yard long. what is the maximum number of complete bows kayla can make?

Explanation:

Step1: Convert mixed number to improper fraction

First, convert \(2\frac{1}{2}\) to an improper fraction. \(2\frac{1}{2}=\frac{2\times2 + 1}{2}=\frac{5}{2}\) yards.

Step2: Divide total ribbon by ribbon per bow

To find the number of bows, divide the total length of ribbon by the length needed per bow. So we calculate \(\frac{5}{2}\div\frac{1}{5}\). When dividing fractions, we multiply by the reciprocal, so \(\frac{5}{2}\times\frac{5}{1}=\frac{25}{2} = 12.5\).

Step3: Determine number of complete bows

Since we need the number of complete bows, we take the floor of \(12.5\), which is \(12\) (because we can't make a fraction of a complete bow).

Answer:

12