1. **State the problem:** Jason wants to know how many days it will take for a machine costing 9000 to produce enough silverware to pay for itself. 2. **Calculate the number of pieces produced per day:** The machine produces 1000 pieces in 2 hours. Pieces per hour = \frac{1000}{2} = 500 Pieces per day (24 hours) = 500 \times 24 = 12000 3. **Calculate how many boxes are produced per day:** Each box contains 50 pieces. Boxes per day = \frac{12000}{50} = 240 4. **Calculate daily revenue:** Each box sells for 3. Revenue per day = 240 \times 3 = 720 5. **Calculate how many days to pay for the machine:** Machine cost is 9000. Days = \frac{9000}{720} = 12.5 6. **Conclusion:** It will take 12.5 days for the machine to pay for itself. **Answer: 12.5 days**