João Had 358 Marbles And Decided To Share With 5 Colleagues How Many Balls Each Has?

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Introduction

João, a marble enthusiast, had a total of 358 marbles. He decided to share them with his 5 colleagues, but he didn't want to give them all the same number of marbles. Instead, he wanted to divide them equally among his colleagues. In this article, we will explore how many marbles each of João's colleagues will receive.

The Problem

To solve this problem, we need to divide the total number of marbles (358) by the number of colleagues (5). This will give us the number of marbles each colleague will receive.

Mathematical Formula

The mathematical formula to divide a number by another number is:

result = dividend ÷ divisor

In this case, the dividend is 358 (the total number of marbles), and the divisor is 5 (the number of colleagues).

Calculating the Result

Let's calculate the result using the formula:

result = 358 ÷ 5

result = 71.6

Since we can't divide marbles into fractions, we will round down to the nearest whole number. This means each colleague will receive 71 marbles.

Checking the Result

To check our result, we can multiply the number of marbles each colleague receives (71) by the number of colleagues (5):

total marbles = 71 × 5

total marbles = 355

This is close to the original total number of marbles (358), but not exactly the same. This is because we rounded down to the nearest whole number when dividing the marbles.

Conclusion

In conclusion, João's 5 colleagues will each receive 71 marbles. This is the result of dividing the total number of marbles (358) by the number of colleagues (5). While we rounded down to the nearest whole number, the result is still a good approximation of the original total number of marbles.

Real-World Applications

This problem may seem simple, but it has real-world applications in various fields, such as:

  • Business: When dividing profits or losses among shareholders or employees, mathematical formulas like this one are used to determine the amount each person receives.
  • Science: In experiments, researchers may need to divide resources or samples among multiple groups or individuals, using mathematical formulas to ensure fairness and accuracy.
  • Everyday Life: When sharing food, household chores, or other resources among family members or roommates, mathematical formulas like this one can help ensure everyone gets a fair share.

Tips and Variations

  • Rounding Up or Down: Depending on the situation, you may need to round up or down to the nearest whole number. For example, if you're sharing food and one person needs a little more than the others, you may want to round up to the nearest whole number.
  • Multiple Divisors: If you have multiple divisors (e.g., 5 colleagues and 2 other people), you can use the formula result = dividend ÷ (divisor1 × divisor2).
  • Fractional Results: If you need to divide marbles into fractions, you can use a calculator or a computer program to get an exact result.

Conclusion

In conclusion, sharing marbles among colleagues is a simple math problem that can be solved using basic division formulas. By understanding how to divide numbers, we can apply this knowledge to real-world situations and make informed decisions.