Final answer:
To obtain 18.75 tons of paraffin, you would need 62.5 tons of petroleum.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine how much petroleum is needed to obtain 18.75 tons of paraffin, we need to use the given percentage and set up a proportion.
Let's assume x represents the amount of petroleum needed in tons.
Based on the given information, we know that 30% of the petroleum is paraffin.
So, the equation is: 0.30x = 18.75
To solve for x, we divide both sides of the equation by 0.30:
x = 18.75 / 0.30
x = 62.5
Therefore, 62.5 tons of petroleum are needed to obtain 18.75 tons of paraffin.