Question

Matthew is packing 120 pencils and 108 notebooks

Answer 1

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Answer:

• 12 boxes
• 10 pencils, 9 notebooks

Step-by-step explanation:

a) The number of boxes will be the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numbers 120 and 108. That number is 12.

  120 = 12×10

  108 = 12×9 . . . . 12 is the greatest common divisor

Matthew can make 12 boxes with equal numbers of the items.

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b) 120 pencils divided by 12 will be 10 pencils per box.

108 notebooks divided by 12 will be 9 notebooks per box.

_____

Additional comment

It helps to be familiar with multiplication tables up to about 12×12.

The GCD can always be found using Euclid's algorithm. Look at the remainder when the larger number is divided by the smaller. If it is not zero, then replace the larger number with the remainder and repeat. If the remainder is zero, the divisor is the GCD.

Here, we have ...

  120/108 = 1 r 12.

  108/12 = 9 r 0   ⇒   12 is the GCD