Question

a bag of rare spice that weighs \\(\frac{3}{5}\\) pounds will be split equally among 15 people. how much spice will each person get? write your answer in simplest form. \\(\square\\) pounds

Explanation:

Step1: Set up division for equal share

To find each person's portion, divide the total spice weight by the number of people:
$\frac{3}{5} \div 15$

Step2: Rewrite division as multiplication by reciprocal

Dividing by a number is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal:
$\frac{3}{5} \times \frac{1}{15}$

Step3: Multiply numerators and denominators

Multiply the top terms and bottom terms together:
$\frac{3 \times 1}{5 \times 15} = \frac{3}{75}$

Step4: Simplify the fraction

Divide numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (3):
$\frac{3 \div 3}{75 \div 3} = \frac{1}{25}$

Answer:

$\frac{1}{25}$ pounds