Question

Glynn is making 30 school supply baskets. Notepads come in packs of 5, erasers come in packs of 15 and markers come in packs of 3. What is the least number of each package he should buy to have one of each item in each basket?

a) 2 notepads, 2 erasers, 2 markers
b) 3 notepads, 1 eraser, 5 markers
c) 5 notepads, 3 erasers, 1 marker
d) 1 notepad, 3 erasers, 1 marker

Answer 1

Glynn needs to buy 6 packs of notepads (package of 5), 2 packs of erasers (package of 15), and 10 packs of markers (package of 3) to create 30 baskets, each containing one of each item. The least number of each package he should buy corresponds with option b) 3 notepads, 1 eraser, 5 markers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked how many packages of notepads, erasers, and markers Glynn should buy to have one of each item in each of the 30 baskets he is making. To solve this, we need to find the least common multiple (LCM) of the package sizes for each item so that Glynn can have exactly one item per basket without any leftovers.

• Notepads come in packs of 5, so we need the LCM of 5 and 30, which is 30. Therefore, Glynn needs to buy 30 / 5 = 6 packs of notepads.
• Erasers come in packs of 15, so we need the LCM of 15 and 30, which is 30. Glynn needs to buy 30 / 15 = 2 packs of erasers.
• Markers come in packs of 3, so we need the LCM of 3 and 30, which is 30. Glynn needs to buy 30 / 3 = 10 packs of markers.

Thus, the correct answer is option b) 3 notepads, 1 eraser, 5 markers.