Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics (5733)Number and QuantityEasy
A land surveyor is marking property lines. She has a total of 150 feet of measuring tape. If she needs to mark segments that are each 12.5 feet long, how many full segments can she mark?
- A15
- B12
- C18
- D10
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 12
To find the number of full segments, divide the total length of the measuring tape by the length of each segment. The result is the number of segments that can be marked.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This would be incorrect if the total length was 187.5 feet.
- C. This would be incorrect if the segment length was 8.33 feet.
- D. This would be incorrect if the segment length was 15 feet.
Division with Decimals
Division with decimals involves dividing a number by another number that contains a decimal point. This often requires moving the decimal point in both the divisor and dividend to make the divisor a whole number.
- Can be conceptualized as repeatedly subtracting the divisor from the dividend.
- Moving decimal points in both numbers by the same amount does not change the quotient.
- Results in a quotient and potentially a remainder or a repeating decimal.
Memory trick: Total length, divided by piece, gives how many pieces.