Thread: Fraction word problem

My daughter is in 7th grade and is about to take her 7th grade NC EOG test next week. I found a sample test and printed it out along with the answers. Some of the questions are stumping me (and her). This is one of them.

A 20-foot piece of rope will be cut into as many 1 1/2 foot sections as possible. How much rope will be left over?

A) 6 inches
B) 6 2/3 inches
C) 10 inches
D) 13 1/3 inches

I divide 20 by 1 1/2, and get 13 1/3, so what's left over is 6 2/3. The answer sheet says that the answer is A) 6 inches. How are they getting this?

You can get 13 pieces out of the 20 feet. But there is 1/3 of a 1.5 foot piece. 1/3 of 1.5 is .5 feet or 6 inches.

Originally Posted by galactus

You can get 13 pieces out of the 20 feet. But there is 1/3 of a 1.5 foot piece. 1/3 of 1.5 is .5 feet or 6 inches.

Well that's tricky! It makes sense now, but I never would've figured that out. Thanks!!!

Hello, cherryperry!

A 20-foot rope will be cut into as many 1 1/2 foot sections as possible.
How much rope will be left over?

A) 6 inches. . B) 6 2/3 inches. . C) 10 inches. . D) 13 1/3 inches


I divide 20 by 1 1/2, and get 13 1/3, so what's left over is 6 2/3. . ??
. . Brrr . . . that's scary!

So, if you had a 100-foot rope cut into 4-foot pieces, you'd say: .

. . By your reasoning, there would be 75 feet left over ?

Originally Posted by Soroban

Hello, cherryperry!


So, if you had a 100-foot rope cut into 4-foot pieces, you'd say: .

. . By your reasoning, there would be 75 feet left over ?

Yeah, it is scary, which is precisely why I'm here asking experts.

Originally Posted by cherryperry

My daughter is in 7th grade and is about to take her 7th grade NC EOG test next week. I found a sample test and printed it out along with the answers. Some of the questions are stumping me (and her). This is one of them.

A 20-foot piece of rope will be cut into as many 1 1/2 foot sections as possible. How much rope will be left over?

A) 6 inches
B) 6 2/3 inches
C) 10 inches
D) 13 1/3 inches

I divide 20 by 1 1/2, and get 13 1/3, so what's left over is 6 2/3. The answer sheet says that the answer is A) 6 inches. How are they getting this?

Hi Cherry,

you could use a sketch like the one attached to guide.

The blue arrows are all 1.5 inches long.
As you add them up, the length goes from 1.5 to 3 to 4.5 to 6 to 7.5 to 9 to 10.5
to 12 to 13.5 to 15 to 16.5 to 18 to 19.5 leaving 0.5 of a foot remaining.

Or, you could take 2 parts together and find out how many 3 foot pieces lie along the rope.

3(6)=18, so there is 2 feet left, in which lies a 1.5 piece and 6 inches.