Question

1. challenge the accounting department recycles 396 pounds of paper in 30 days. the human resource department recycles 186 pounds of paper in two weeks. the computer resources department recycles 92 pounds of paper in a week. which department recycles the most paper per day? why do you need to use exact calculations? explain your reasoning.

Explanation:

Step1: Find Accounting's daily rate

Divide total pounds by days:
$\frac{396}{30} = 13.2$ pounds/day

Step2: Find HR's daily rate

Two weeks = 14 days. Divide total pounds by days:
$\frac{186}{14} \approx 13.29$ pounds/day

Step3: Find Computer's daily rate

One week = 7 days. Divide total pounds by days:
$\frac{92}{7} \approx 13.14$ pounds/day

Step4: Compare daily rates

Compare $13.29$, $13.2$, and $13.14$.

Answer:

The human resource department recycles the most paper per day.

Exact calculations are needed because the daily rates are very close to each other. Approximating too early could lead to an incorrect comparison (e.g., rounding all values to 13 pounds/day would hide the small difference between the departments, making it impossible to identify the highest rate).