Using proportions, it is found that the floor space occupied by each machine is of 6.5 ft².
A proportion is a fraction of a total amount, and the measures are related using a rule of three.
In this problem, five identical machines cover a total of 32 1/2 ft² = 32.5 ft², hence the space occupied by each machine is given as follows, applying the proportion:
32.5 ft²/5 = 6.5 ft².
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