Question

How many 1 3/5 inch thick books can fit on a 14 1/2 inch long bookshelf

Answer 1

Answer: $9 \frac{1}{16}$ books.

Step-by-step explanation:

First, let's turn both mixed numbers into fractions:

$1\frac{3}{5}=\frac{(1*5)+3}{5} =\frac{5+3}{5}=\frac{8}{5} \\\\14\frac{1}{2}=\frac{(14*2)+1}{2}=\frac{28+1}{2}=\frac{29}{2}$

Then, to find how many books can fit into the bookshelf, you simply divide the  space in the bookshelf by the thickness of each book:

$\frac{\frac{29}{2} }{\frac{8}{5} }=\frac{5*29}{8*2} =\frac{145}{16}$

If you want the answer as a mixed number:

$\frac{145}{16} =9\frac{1}{16}$

Answer 2

How many 1 3/5 inch thick books can fit on a 14 1/2 inch long bookshelf

 9  1/16