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Los libros ocupan el resto de la mesa.

Los libros ocupan el resto de la mesa.
The books take up the rest of the table.
From Lesson 297:Fractions and multipliers (la mitad, el doble)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Los libros ocupan el resto de la mesa.

Why does this sentence use el resto de in a lesson about fractions?
Just like la mitad (half) or un tercio (a third), el resto (the rest or remainder) is a noun used to express a proportion of something. Like those fractions, it requires the preposition de to connect to the whole it belongs to (la mesa).
Could I say los restos de la mesa instead of el resto?
Not in this context. The singular el resto means the remaining part of a single whole. If you use the plural los restos, it changes the meaning to remains, ruins, or leftovers, which would sound like the table was destroyed.
Is ocupar the best translation for taking up space?
Yes! While it obviously translates to the English word occupy, ocupar is the standard and most natural Spanish verb to use when talking about objects taking up physical space or activities taking up your time.

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