Manuel can paint 5 pictures in 12.5 hours. At this rate, which proportion can be used to find p, the number of pictures Manuel can paint in 8 hours?

1 answer

One possible proportion that can be used is:

5 pictures / 12.5 hours = p pictures / 8 hours

To solve for p, we can cross-multiply and simplify:

5 pictures x 8 hours = 12.5 hours x p pictures

40 pictures = 12.5 hours x p pictures

p pictures = 40 pictures / 12.5 hours

p pictures = 3.2 pictures

Therefore, according to this proportion, Manuel can paint about 3.2 pictures in 8 hours at the same rate as he can paint 5 pictures in 12.5 hours. Since it's not possible to paint a fraction of a picture, we could also say that he can paint either 3 pictures or 4 pictures in 8 hours, depending on whether he finishes the third picture before or after the 8-hour mark.