Ian has 14 boxes of paper and wants to divide them equally among 4 coworkers. If each coworker must get only whole boxes, how many whole boxes does each coworker receive?

Introduction / Context:
This is an equal sharing and division problem involving whole units. It checks your ability to perform integer division and interpret remainders correctly, especially when the context restricts you to whole items such as boxes that cannot be split among coworkers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Total number of boxes of paper = 14.

• Number of coworkers to receive the boxes = 4.

• Each coworker must receive an equal number of boxes.

• Only whole boxes can be given to each coworker; fractional boxes are not allowed.

Concept / Approach:
We divide the total number of boxes by the number of coworkers to see how many boxes each coworker would receive. Since the problem specifies whole boxes, we are interested in the integer part of the division. Any remainder will represent boxes left over that cannot be evenly distributed without splitting a box, which the question does not allow.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Total boxes = 14. Number of coworkers = 4. Compute 14 ÷ 4. 14 ÷ 4 = 3 with a remainder of 2, since 4 * 3 = 12 and 14 − 12 = 2. Therefore, each coworker can receive 3 whole boxes, and 2 boxes remain undistributed if we do not split them.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check by multiplying back: if each of the 4 coworkers gets 3 boxes, then total distributed = 4 * 3 = 12 boxes. This leaves 14 − 12 = 2 boxes, which matches the remainder found in the division. The sharing is equal and respects the requirement to use whole boxes, confirming that 3 is the correct number per coworker.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
If each coworker got 2 boxes, only 8 boxes would be used, leaving 6 unused, which is not the maximum equal distribution. Options 2.5 and 3.5 involve fractional boxes, which are not allowed by the wording that each coworker gets whole boxes. Therefore, 3 is the only option that uses whole boxes and distributes them as evenly as possible.

Common Pitfalls:
A common slip is to give the exact division result 3.5 without considering the whole box condition. Another mistake is to ignore the remainder and select a smaller integer like 2, which does not distribute the boxes as much as possible. Always read the phrase about whole items carefully and choose the integer part of the division when splitting discrete objects.

Final Answer:
Each coworker receives 3 whole boxes of paper.