Question

a container of 3 metal beans weighed one fifth of a ton. if every beam weighed the same amount, how heavy was each ?

Answer 1

We know all three weight 1/5 of a ton, how much is it for one?

well, since there are 3 of them, one is just 1/3 of the whole 1/5 of a ton, how much is 1/3 of 1/5?   well, is just its product,

$\bf \cfrac{1}{3}\cdot \cfrac{1}{5}\implies \cfrac{1}{15}\textit{ of a ton}$