Question

The school auditorium has 8 rows of seats, divided into 3 setions. Each section has 15 seats. Which of the following is the correct way to figure out the total number of seats?
a. 8 x 15
b. 8 x 3 x 15
c. 3 x 3 x 8
d. 8 x 3

I thought it should be 15 x 3

Answer 1

No.

Answer 2

No its 15x3x8

Answer 3

This question must have been written by someone with a weak command of English. It is a truly terrible question.

The "grouping" should have been by section. Based on the wording (and a common understanding of English) there is no reason to find that there are three 8x15 sections - which Carlos (above) indicates is the correct answer. If there were, then each "section" would have 120 chairs, which is clearly contradicted in the problem. Perhaps they meant that there are three, 8-row sections, but again why 15 seats per section?

To make this problem Carlos' answer work you have to assume that a section means both section and row. Hence 8 rows, 15 seats per row (section?), 3 sections.

Unfortunately a normal person would never draw that conclusion from this problem.