1. **State the problem:** Frank buys candy at 8 per pound and will spend at most 96 on candy. We want to find the possible number of pounds $p$ he can buy. 2. **Write the inequality:** Since the cost per pound is 8, the total cost is $8p$. He will spend at most 96, so: $$8p \leq 96$$ 3. **Solve the inequality for $p$:** Divide both sides by 8: $$\frac{\cancel{8}p}{\cancel{8}} \leq \frac{96}{8}$$ which simplifies to: $$p \leq 12$$ 4. **Interpretation:** Frank can buy any number of pounds $p$ such that $p$ is less than or equal to 12. This means he can buy up to 12 pounds of candy without exceeding 96 in cost. **Final answer:** $$p \leq 12$$