Question

help please! by what fraction would you multiply 8 1/2 so that the proudct is about 5 explain your reasiong

Answer 1

9514 1404 393

Answer:

  5/8 or 5/9

Step-by-step explanation:

The fraction will be exactly ...

  5/(8 1/2) = 10/17   ⇒   (8 1/2)×(10/17) = 5

__

The fraction will be approximately ...

  5/8 or 5/9

The denominator will be a number that makes (8 1/2)/(denominator) ≈ 1. For that denominator, the numerator will be 5, so that we have ...

  (8 1/2) × (5/denominator) ≈ 5

  (8 1/2)/(denominator) ≈ 1 .  . . . . . . . divide by 5

If we want the denominator to be an integer, we could choose either 8 or 9. If we choose 8, the result will be slightly more than 5; if we choose 9, the result will be slightly less.

  (8 1/2) × (5/8) = 5.3125 ≈ 5

  (8 1/2) × (5/9) = 4.722... ≈ 5

Either 5/8 or 5/9 will give a product of about 5.