Final answer:
To find the greatest number of pens or pencils that Louis can place in each bag, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 45 and 75. Using the Euclidean algorithm, the GCD is determined to be 15.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to find the greatest number of pens or pencils that Louis can place in each bag, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the given numbers, 45 and 75. The GCD represents the largest number that can evenly divide both 45 and 75.
We can find the GCD by using the Euclidean algorithm. Starting with the larger number (75), we divide it by the smaller number (45) and find the remainder (30). Then, we divide the divisor (45) by the remainder (30) and find the new remainder (15). We continue this process until we reach a remainder of 0. The last non-zero remainder (15) is the GCD of 45 and 75.
Therefore, the greatest number of pens or pencils that Louis can place in each bag is 15.