A tailor has 37.5 metres of cloth and from each full metre he cuts 8 equal pieces of fabric; if he uses exactly half of his cloth for cutting, how many individual pieces can he make altogether from that half portion?

Introduction / Context:
This problem checks basic proportional reasoning and unit handling. A tailor cuts cloth into equal pieces, and we are told how many pieces come from one metre. We then restrict the amount of cloth actually used to half of the total stock. The question asks for the total number of pieces that can be cut from that used portion. Such questions appear frequently in aptitude tests to see whether candidates can translate words into simple arithmetic based on ratios and fractions.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Total cloth length = 37.5 metres.
- From every 1 metre of cloth, the tailor cuts 8 equal pieces.
- Only half of the total cloth is used for cutting pieces.
- The remaining half is not used and therefore does not contribute pieces.
- All pieces are of equal size throughout the cutting process.

Concept / Approach:
First, we find the length of cloth that is actually used, which is half of 37.5 metres. Next, the size of each piece is determined from the information that 1 metre produces 8 pieces, so each piece corresponds to 1/8 of a metre. Finally, we divide the used length of cloth by the length per piece to get the total number of pieces. Straightforward multiplication and division are enough to handle this problem.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Total cloth = 37.5 metres. Half of the cloth used = 37.5 / 2 = 18.75 metres. From 1 metre, the tailor cuts 8 equal pieces. Length of each piece = 1 / 8 metre. Number of pieces from 18.75 metres = 18.75 / (1 / 8). This equals 18.75 * 8. 18.75 * 8 = 150. Therefore, the tailor can cut 150 pieces from half of the cloth.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative way is to see how many pieces come from 37.5 metres and then halve that count. From 37.5 metres, the total pieces are 37.5 * 8 = 300. Since only half the cloth is used, the number of pieces is 300 / 2 = 150, which confirms the previous result.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 300 corresponds to using the entire 37.5 metres, not half of it.
Option 175 does not match any consistent calculation involving 8 pieces per metre and half of 37.5 metres.
Option 200 would come from an incorrect assumption about the number of pieces per metre or the portion of cloth used.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes forget that only half of the cloth is used and multiply the full length by 8. Others may misinterpret “8 equal pieces from a metre” and incorrectly scale the number of pieces. Another error is mishandling the decimal 37.5 when finding half, so careful arithmetic is necessary.

Final Answer:
The number of individual pieces the tailor can make from half of the cloth is 150.