Final answer:
It will take Maddie's office 5 weeks to recycle a total of 15 kilograms of paper.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of weeks it will take Maddie's office to recycle 15 kilograms of paper, we can set up a proportion based on the given information. Since the relationship is directly proportional, we can say that 12 kilograms of paper is equivalent to 4 weeks. Let's set up the proportion:
12 kilograms / 4 weeks = 15 kilograms / x weeks
Cross multiplying, we get:
12x = 4 * 15
Simplifying, we find:
12x = 60
Dividing both sides by 12, we get:
x = 60 / 12
x = 5
Therefore, it will take Maddie's office 5 weeks to recycle a total of 15 kilograms of paper.