basic math help

[maaminteach]

Having trouble solving basic math problems:
A sporting goods store has 39 bicycles. IF 2/3 of this quantity are sold, how many bicycles were sold? My answer of 117/2 doesn't make sense to me.
Can anyone explain?

Also, What is the total weight in pounds of 56 notebooks if each notebook weighs 5/8 pounds?

 

[stapel]

A sporting goods store has 39 bicycles. IF 2/3 of this quantity are sold, how many bicycles were sold? My answer of 117/2 doesn't make sense to me.

Since you're dealing with thirds, an answer with halves seems unlikely. Also, since you started with thirty-nine items, ending up with 58.5 seems unreasonable. How did you arrive at this answer?

What is the total weight in pounds of 56 notebooks if each notebook weighs 5/8 pounds?

What would be the weight of two notebooks?

What would be the weight of three notebooks?

What would be the weight of six notebooks?

What would be the weight of ten notebooks?

What mathematical operation did you use to find these values? Use the same operation to find the answer.

 

[HallsofIvy]

"2/3 of" is equivalent to "2/3 times", but you divided by 2/3 rather than multiplying.

If each note book weighs "x" pounds and there are "n" notebooks, again, the total weight is the product "x times n". Here that is 56 times 5/8.