Question

Mr. Pinello has 40 colored pencils and 24 markers to divide into containers for his class. He wants each container to have the same number of items. What is the greatest number of containers Mr. Pinello can make if he wants each container to have the same number of colored pencils and the same number of markers? Show your work.

Answer 1

The greatest number of containers that Mr. Pinello can make is 8 containers.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to find the greatest number of containers, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 40 and 24. The GCD represents the largest number of items that can be evenly divided into both groups. We can find the GCD by using factoring or the method of prime factorization.

By prime factorization:

1. Factorize 40: 2 * 2 * 2 * 5
2. Factorize 24: 2 * 2 * 2 * 3
3. Take the common prime factors: 2 * 2 * 2 = 8

Therefore, the greatest number of containers that Mr. Pinello can make is 8 containers.