5th grade math question: 5 packages. 12 people. How much does each person get?

[Taggy]

Am I reading too much into this? I was helping a kid with this earlier today and wondering if I'm overthinking it. 5 packages. 12 people. How much does each person get? Just 5/12 (5 twelfths) of a package each as the answer? Or should the kid be dividing 5 ÷ 12 to be more specific?

If this math is too juvenile for this web site, please direct me to one that can help.

 

[Dr.Peterson]

Am I reading too much into this? I was helping a kid with this earlier today and wondering if I'm overthinking it. 5 packages. 12 people. How much does each person get? Just 5/12 (5 twelfths) of a package each as the answer? Or should the kid be dividing 5 ÷ 12 to be more specific?

If this math is too juvenile for this web site, please direct me to one that can help.

There's no real difference; 5 ÷ 12 = 5/12 expressed as a fraction, and 0.41666... as a decimal. These are equivalent.

Of course, if the packages are unbreakable, then there is no real answer. It all depends on details.

Can you show us the entire problem as given, and tell us what topic is being taught (e.g. fractions, decimals, or something else?

(By the way, this problem goes under the heading Arithmetic (or perhaps Pre-Algebra); its existence on the site shows that nothing is too juvenile!)

 

[stapel]

Am I reading too much into this? I was helping a kid with this earlier today and wondering if I'm overthinking it. 5 packages. 12 people. How much does each person get? Just 5/12 (5 twelfths) of a package each as the answer? Or should the kid be dividing 5 ÷ 12 to be more specific?

If this math is too juvenile for this web site, please direct me to one that can help.

If you're not sure of your answer, check it. If each child gets [imath]\frac{5}{12}[/imath] of a package, then the twelve children will, in total, get [imath]12\left(\frac{5}{12}\right)[/imath] packages, which is all [imath]5[/imath] [packages.

As for the "how" for the "proper" (that is, the expected) way to arrive at the answer, I cannot speak to that, because I can't see the class materials.