Final answer:
The number of students (S) that can make piñatas with 20 pounds of paste can be determined by the equation S = Total paste / Paste per student, which is S = 20 / 5, indicating that 4 students can make piñatas.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the number of students that can make piñatas with the 20 pounds of paste that the art teacher bought, an equation needs to be formulated based on the given information. Since each student will use 5 pounds of paste for one piñata, and there are 20 pounds of paste available, we need to divide the total paste by the amount each student uses.
The equation to find the number of students (S) that can make piñatas is:
S = Total paste (pounds) / Paste per student (pounds)
Substituting the given values, we get:
S = 20 / 5
This equation simplifies to:
S = 4
Therefore, 4 students can make piñatas with the available paste.