Question

Zayed is helping his classmates get ready for their math test by making them identical packages of pencils and calculators. He has 72 pencils and 24 calculators and he must use all of the pencils and calculators. If Zayed creates the greatest number of identical packages possible, how many ls will be in each package?

Answer 1

So 72 pencils and 24 calculators
so greates number of identical calculators

this means
what is the biggest number that we can divide 72 and 24 by and get a whole number
this is called the GCM or greatest common multipule

to find the GCM, you factor 72 and group the like ones
72=2 times 2 times 2 times 3 times 3
24=2 times 2 times 2 times 3
so the common group is 2 times 2 times 2 times 3 or 24
so the greates number of packs is 24

so pencils
72 divided by 24=72/24=3
3 pencils per pack

24 divided by 24=24/24=1
1 calulator per pack


answer is 3 pencils and 1 calculator per pack

Answer 2

3  pencils per box.

The GFC of 72 and 24 is 24. 72 divide by 24 is 3, 24 divided by 24 is 1.

Therefore, there are 3 pencils and 1 calculator each box. To answer your question, 3  pencils per box.