How many yards are equivalent to 612 inches? (1 yard = 36 inches)

1. TRANSLATE the problem information

• Given information:
  • We have 612 inches
  • The conversion factor: \(\mathrm{1\ yard = 36\ inches}\)
• What we need to find: How many yards equal 612 inches

2. INFER the conversion approach

• Since we're converting from inches (smaller unit) to yards (larger unit), we need to divide by the conversion factor
• Think of it this way: If 36 inches make 1 yard, then 612 inches will make fewer yards
• This means: \(\mathrm{612\ inches ÷ 36\ inches/yard = ?\ yards}\)

3. SIMPLIFY the calculation

• \(\mathrm{612 ÷ 36 = 17}\)
• Therefore: \(\mathrm{612\ inches = 17\ yards}\)

Answer: B. 17

Why Students Usually Falter on This Problem

Most Common Error Path:

Weak INFER skill: Students confuse the conversion direction and multiply instead of divide.

They think: "I need to convert inches to yards, so I'll use the conversion factor by multiplying: \(\mathrm{612 × 36 = 22,032}\)."

This leads them to select Choice D (22,032).

The Bottom Line:

Unit conversion requires careful thinking about direction - when going from smaller units to larger units, you divide by the conversion factor because you'll have fewer of the larger units.