If it takes x hours of shoveling to gather y pounds of coal, then how many hours
of shoveling does it take to gather a ton of coal? (a ton = 2000 pounds.)
Let's make up some numbers for the letters.
If it takes 4 hours of shoveling to gather 100 pounds of coal, then how many
hours of shoveling does it take to gather 500 pounds of coal?
To do that you divide 500 by 100 pounds, get 5. Then multiply 5 times 4, get 20
hours of shoveling.
Now let's do the same thing with the letters.
If it takes x hours of shoveling to gather y pounds of coal, then how many hours
of shoveling does it take to gather 2000 pounds of coal?
To do that you divide 2000 by y pounds, get 2000/y. Then multiply 2000/y times x,
get 2000x/y hours of shoveling.
Edwin
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