1. **State the problem:** We have a 9 by 16 tile plot of land, and each sprinkler waters 24 adjacent tiles. We need to find how many sprinklers are required to water all the tiles. 2. **Calculate total number of tiles:** The total number of tiles is the product of the dimensions: $$9 \times 16 = 144$$ tiles. 3. **Determine number of sprinklers needed:** Each sprinkler covers 24 tiles, so the number of sprinklers needed is the total tiles divided by tiles per sprinkler: $$\frac{144}{24} = 6$$ 4. **Interpretation:** Since 6 sprinklers cover exactly 144 tiles, you need 6 sprinklers to water the entire plot. **Final answer:** 6 sprinklers.