1. **State the problem:** Carmen has a 5 pound block of cheese and cuts it into 16 equal wedges. We need to find the weight of each wedge. 2. **Formula used:** To find the weight of each wedge, divide the total weight by the number of wedges: $$\text{Weight of each wedge} = \frac{\text{Total weight}}{\text{Number of wedges}}$$ 3. **Apply the formula:** $$\text{Weight of each wedge} = \frac{5}{16}$$ 4. **Simplify the fraction:** Since 5 and 16 have no common factors other than 1, the fraction is already in simplest form. 5. **Convert to decimal (optional):** $$\frac{5}{16} = 0.3125$$ 6. **Answer:** Each wedge weighs $\frac{5}{16}$ pounds or approximately 0.3125 pounds.