Question

How does 24.9 divided by 1.5 equall 16.6?

Answer 1

If you spotted that 1.5 is half of 3, you're almost there. Divide 24.9 by 3: 8.3. We double this answer to compensate for  doubling 1.5 and we get 16.6. That's one way to do it.

Answer 2

Restate this problem in a fraction form,getting

24.9/1.5 ··· Ex.1   Multiply both the numerator and denominator by 10 to change those decimals into whole numbers,getting

24.9x10 / 1.5x10 = 249/15 ··· Ex.2   Factor both the top and bottom of Ex.2 by prime numbers, getting 249=3x83 and 15=3x5, so

Ex.2 can be rewritten and simplified crossing off the factors they have in common: 249/15=3x83 / 3x5 = 83/5 ··· Ex.3   Here, 80=5x16, so Ex.3 can be rewritten:

83/5=(80+3) / 5 = 80/5 + 3/5 =16+0.6   Thus, Ex.1 can be rewritten: 24.9/1.5=249/15=83/5=(5x16+3)/5=16+0.6=16.6

Therefore, 24.9/1.5=16.6   Q.E.D.

 

Answer 3

Given 24.9 divided by 1.5
249/15
16.6

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Answer 4

If you spotted that 1.5 is one-tenth of 15, you're almost there. Divide 24.9 by 15: 1.66. We multiply this answer by 10 to compensate for  multiplying 1.5 by 10 and we get 16.6. That's NOT the way to do it.

Simply divide 24.9 by 1.5 to get 16.6, that's how it has always worked, for hundreds of years.