Question

A florist needs several pieces of ribbon that are 5 and 1/2 inches long if she begins with a piece of ribbon that is 264 inches long how many pieces will she be able to cut from it

Answer 1

48

Explanation:

(264 in)/(5.5 in/piece) = (264/5.5) pieces = 48 pieces

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Division is the usual shortcut for repeated subtraction. You could subtract 5.5 from 264 until you get to zero. You would have to do 48 subtractions. It is easier to divide 264 by 5.5 to see how many times it goes.