Final answer:
There are 16 fiction books in the library at Lenape Elementary School.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the number of fiction books in the library, we need to determine the ratio of fiction books to nonfiction books. We are given that there are 2/5 as many fiction books as nonfiction books. Let's represent the number of nonfiction books as x. Then, the number of fiction books can be calculated as 2/5 * x.
We also know that the total number of books in the library is 56. So, x + 2/5 * x = 56. Simplifying, we have 5/5 * x + 2/5 * x = 56 which gives us 7/5 * x = 56.
To solve for x, we can multiply both sides of the equation by 5/7. This gives us x = 56 * 5/7 = 40.
Therefore, there are 40 nonfiction books in the library. To find the number of fiction books, we can substitute the value of x into the equation for fiction books and calculate: 2/5 * 40 = 16.
So, there are 16 fiction books in the library.