Final answer:
To find the number of packages of saplings that Rita started with, we can set up an equation using the information given. Let's assume she started with 'p' packages of saplings. Each package has 5 saplings, so she planted 5p saplings. According to the question, she planted 15 saplings and has at most 20 left. This means she planted 5p - 15 saplings and has 20 or fewer saplings left. We can write this as an inequality: 5p - 15 ≤ 20. Now, let's solve the inequality to find the possible values of p: 5p ≤ 35, p ≤ 7. Since the problem states that she has at most 20 saplings left, the number of packages should be less than or equal to 7. Therefore, Rita started with at most 7 packages of saplings. The solution on a number line graph would look like this: [0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7] with an arrow to the right of 7.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of packages of saplings that Rita started with, we can set up an equation using the information given. Let's assume she started with 'p' packages of saplings. Each package has 5 saplings, so she planted 5p saplings.
According to the question, she planted 15 saplings and has at most 20 left. This means she planted 5p - 15 saplings and has 20 or fewer saplings left. We can write this as an inequality:
5p - 15 ≤ 20
Now, let's solve the inequality to find the possible values of p:
5p ≤ 35
p ≤ 7
Since the problem states that she has at most 20 saplings left, the number of packages should be less than or equal to 7. Therefore, Rita started with at most 7 packages of saplings.
The solution on a number line graph would look like this:
[0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7] with an arrow to the right of 7.