Suppose that 14 inches of wire costs 42 cents. At the same rate, how many inches of wire can be bought for 24 cents?

Let's break this down! If 14 inches of wire costs 42 cents, then each inch costs 3 cents (42 cents divided by 14 inches). Now, to find out how many inches you can get for 24 cents, just divide 24 cents by the cost per inch. So, 24 cents divided by 3 cents per inch equals 8 inches. Voilà! You can get 8 inches of wire for 24 cents. For a fun twist, you can think of it like shopping for candy! If you know the price per piece, it’s easy to figure out how much you can buy with your allowance without emptying your pockets!