In a typing pool, 123 typists together type 984 papers in 1/15 of an hour. On average, how many papers does one typist type per minute?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks understanding of work rate, specifically how to convert total work done by many workers in a given time into the rate per worker per minute.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Number of typists = 123.
- Total papers typed = 984.
- Time taken = 1/15 of an hour.
- We assume all typists work at the same average rate.
- We need the number of papers typed per minute by one typist.

Concept / Approach:
The steps are:
1. Convert 1/15 hour into minutes.2. Find the total rate of all typists in papers per minute.3. Divide by the number of typists to get the rate for one typist.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Time given = 1/15 hour.Step 2: Convert to minutes: (1/15) * 60 = 4 minutes.Step 3: Total papers typed in 4 minutes by all typists = 984.Step 4: Total rate of all typists = 984 / 4 = 246 papers per minute.Step 5: Since there are 123 typists, rate per typist per minute = 246 / 123.Step 6: Compute 246 / 123 = 2 papers per minute.

Verification / Alternative check:
If each typist types 2 papers per minute, then 123 typists type 246 papers per minute. Over 4 minutes they would type 246 * 4 = 984 papers, which matches the given total. This confirms that the per typist rate is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 1 paper per minute would yield only 123 * 4 = 492 papers in 4 minutes, which is too low.
- 3 papers per minute or 5 papers per minute would give totals much larger than 984, contradicting the question.

Common Pitfalls:
- Forgetting to convert 1/15 of an hour into minutes correctly.
- Dividing 984 by 123 directly to get papers per typist without adjusting for time, which gives a wrong interpretation.

Final Answer:
An average typist types 2 papers per minute.