Question

mr. morales organizes student groups for the schools annual martin luther king, jr. day of service. groups of students choose to either help beautify the school or make welcome boxes for refugees. there are 8 classes at the school and 21 students in each class.
part a what is the total number of students at the school?
part b mr. morales wants to have 12 students in each group. how many groups will there be?
part c how many fewer students will be in each group if he decides to have 24 groups? explain your answer using diagrams, pictures, mathematical expressions, and/or words.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate total number of students

Multiply number of classes by students per class. $8\times21 = 168$

Step2: Find number of groups for 12 - student groups

Divide total students by 12. $\frac{168}{12}=14$

Step3: Find number of students per group for 24 groups

Divide total students by 24. $\frac{168}{24} = 7$

Step4: Find difference in students per group

Subtract new - group size from original 12 - student group size. $12−7 = 5$

Answer:

Part A: 168 students
Part B: 14 groups
Part C: 5 fewer students. We first found the total number of students as 168. When making 24 groups, each group has 7 students ($168\div24 = 7$). Originally, we considered groups of 12 students. The difference between 12 and 7 is 5, so there are 5 fewer students in each group when there are 24 groups.