Quandaries
and Queries
Who is asking: Student
Level: Elementary
Question:
Mrs. Smith's class has 35 student. Today there are 2/3 of them absent.
How many are absent? present? I totaly forget how to do this if you
could give me the answer that would be great.
Hi Amanda,
If Mrs. Smith had 36 students in her class I would feel better about
this problem. In this case she could divide her class into 3, equal sized
groups, so each group would have 12 students. Thus 1/3 of her class is
12 students so 2/3 of her class is 2
12=24
suudents.
If she really has 35 students then 1/3 of 35 is 35/3
which is eleven and two-thirds. Thus 2/3 of her class would be (35/3)2=70/3
which is twenty-three and one-third.
Penny