Question

sadie plans to repaint some classroom bookcases. she has 3 gallons of paint. all of the bookcases are the same size and each requires \\(\frac{1}{3}\\) gallon of paint. how many bookcases will she be able to paint?

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the operation

We know the total amount of paint (3 gallons) and the amount of paint per bookcase ($\frac{1}{3}$ gallon). To find the number of bookcases, we divide the total paint by the paint per bookcase. So the formula is $Number\ of\ bookcases = \frac{Total\ paint}{Paint\ per\ bookcase}$.

Step2: Perform the division

Substitute the values: $Number\ of\ bookcases = \frac{3}{\frac{1}{3}}$. When dividing by a fraction, we multiply by its reciprocal, so $\frac{3}{\frac{1}{3}} = 3\times3 = 9$.

Answer:

9