Answer:
To find the number of laps Bill ran, we can divide the total distance he ran by the distance per lap.
Total distance run: 8 1/2 miles
Distance per lap: 4 1/4 miles
To divide a mixed number by a mixed number, we can convert them to improper fractions and then perform the division.
Total distance as an improper fraction:
8 1/2 = (8 * 2 + 1) / 2 = 17/2
Distance per lap as an improper fraction:
4 1/4 = (4 * 4 + 1) / 4 = 17/4
Now, let's perform the division:
Number of laps = Total distance / Distance per lap
= (17/2) / (17/4)
= (17/2) * (4/17)
= (17 * 4) / (2 * 17)
= 68 / 34
= 2
Therefore, Bill ran 2 laps around the track.