Joanie had 72 signs to hang up around the school. After giving the same number of signs to each of 4 volunteers, she had 8 left to hang up by herself.

Answer 1

Let \( x \) represent the number of signs each volunteer received.

Since Joanie gave the same number of signs to each of the 4 volunteers, the total number of signs given to the volunteers is:

\[ 4x \]

After giving out the signs, Joanie had 8 signs left. Thus, we can write the equation:

\[ 72 - 4x = 8 \]

To solve for \( x \), we first add \( 4x \) to both sides of the equation:

\[ 72 - 8 = 4x \]

This simplifies to:

\[ 64 = 4x \]

Next, we divide both sides by 4:

\[ x = \frac{64}{4} = 16 \]

So, each volunteer received 16 signs. To check our work, we can calculate the total number of signs distributed and ensure it adds up correctly with what Joanie has left:

1. Total signs given to volunteers:

\[ 4 \times 16 = 64 \]

2. Signs left with Joanie:

\[ 72 - 64 = 8 \]

Since Joanie has 8 signs left, our calculations confirm that the solution is correct. Therefore, each volunteer received:

\[ \boxed{16} \] signs.