How many 2 3/4 inch long rods can be cut from a rod measuring 16-1/2 inches long?

To determine how many 2 3/4 inch long rods can be cut from a rod measuring 16-1/2 inches long, it is crucial to perform a few calculations.

First, convert the lengths into a common fraction format to facilitate calculations. The rod measuring 16-1/2 inches can be expressed as 16.5 inches, which converts to 33/2 inches. The length of each smaller rod, 2 3/4 inches, can be expressed as 2.75 inches, or equivalently 11/4 inches in fraction form.

Next, to find out how many 2 3/4 inches rods fit into 16-1/2 inches, divide the total length of the rod (33/2 inches) by the length of each smaller rod (11/4 inches):

[ \frac{33}{2} \div \frac{11}{4} = \frac{33}{2} \times \frac{4}{11} = \frac{33 \times 4}{2 \times 11} = \frac{132}{22} = 6 ]

This calculation indicates that a maximum of 6 complete 2 3/4