Question

What is the product of 1 1/2 and -1 1/4?

Answer 1

positive number times negative number is negative number "(+)(-) = (-)".

$1\dfrac{1}{2}\cdot\left(-1\dfrac{1}{4}\right)=-\left(1\dfrac{1}{2}\cdot1\dfrac{1}{4}\right)$

we change the mixed numbers to the improper fractions

$=-\left(\dfrac{1\cdot2+1}{2}\cdot\dfrac{1\cdot4+1}{4}\right)=-\left(\dfrac{3}{2}\cdot\dfrac{5}{4}\right)=-\dfrac{3\cdot5}{2\cdot4}=-\dfrac{15}{8}=-1\dfrac{7}{8}$