Answer: original weight of the box = 15 / 16 pounds
Explanation: Assume that the original amount in the box is x. We are given that: 5/8 pounds represent 2/3 of the total amount (x). This can be translated into the following equation: (2/3) x = 5 / 8
Now, we will solve for x as follows: (2/3) x = 5 / 8 Multiply both sides by 24 to get rid of the denominators as follows: (2/3) x * 24 = (5 / 8) * 24 16 x = 15 Divide both sides by 16 to isolate the x as follows: x = 15 / 16 pounds