To find the total weight of the 5 boxes, we first calculate the weight of one box and then multiply it by 5.
Weight of one candle: 2 3/8 pounds
Number of candles in one box: 6
Weight of one box of candles: (2 3/8) * 6 pounds
To multiply a mixed number by a whole number, we first convert the mixed number to an improper fraction and then multiply.
2 3/8 = (2 * 8 + 3)/8 = 19/8
Weight of one box of candles: (19/8) * 6 pounds
To multiply fractions, we multiply the numerators and denominators separately.
(19/8) * 6 = (19 * 6)/(8 * 1) = 114/8
To simplify the fraction, we divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD), which is 2.
114/8 = (57 * 2)/(4 * 2) = (57/4) * (2/1) = (57/2) * (1/4) = 57/2 * 1/4
Weight of one box of candles: 57/2 * 1/4 pounds
Now, to find the total weight of the 5 boxes, we multiply the weight of one box by 5.
Total weight of 5 boxes of candles: (57/2 * 1/4) * 5 pounds
To multiply fractions, we multiply the numerators and denominators separately.
(57/2) * (1/4) * 5 = (57 * 1 * 5)/(2 * 4) = 285/8
Therefore, the total weight of the 5 boxes of candles is 285/8 pounds.