Question

fernando made a block of scented soap which weighed 3/8 of a pound. he divided the soap into 3 equal pieces. how much did each piece of soap weigh? write your answer as a fraction or as a whole or mixed number. pounds

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the total weight and number of pieces

The total weight of the soap is $\frac{3}{8}$ pounds and it is divided into 3 equal - pieces.

Step2: Use the division formula for fractions

To find the weight of each piece, we divide the total weight by the number of pieces. The formula for dividing a fraction $\frac{a}{b}$ by a whole number $n$ is $\frac{a}{b}\div n=\frac{a}{b\times n}$. Here, $a = 3$, $b = 8$, and $n = 3$. So, $\frac{3}{8}\div3=\frac{3}{8\times3}$.

Step3: Simplify the fraction

$\frac{3}{8\times3}=\frac{3}{24}=\frac{1}{8}$ pounds.

Answer:

$\frac{1}{8}$ pounds