Question

A builder is repairing a length of fence 3 1/3 yards long. He is using a 0.80-pound box of nails. When he finishes, he notices that he used half the box of nails. How many pounds of nails did the builder use for each yard of the fence?

a) 0.12 pounds
b) 0.24 pounds
c) 0.36 pounds
d) 0.48 pounds

Answer 1

The builder used 0.12 pounds of nails per yard of the fence, after using half of a 0.80-pound box of nails for a 3 1/3 yards long fence.

Step-by-step explanation:

The builder uses a 0.80-pound box of nails for a length of fence measuring 3 1/3 yards. If he used half the box, that's 0.40 pounds of nails. To find out how many pounds of nails he used per yard of the fence, we divide the total weight of the nails used by the total length of the fence:

1. Convert 3 1/3 yards to an improper fraction: 3 1/3 = (3×3)+1/3 = 10/3 yards.
2. Divide the weight of nails used (0.40 pounds) by the length of the fence in yards (10/3):

0.40 pounds ÷ (10/3) yards = 0.40 × (3/10) pounds per yard

0.40 × 3/10 = 0.12 pounds per yard

Therefore, the builder used 0.12 pounds of nails per yard of the fence.