Multiply 4 by -5/8. Write the answer as a mixed number in simplest form.
-2 1/2
-10
-5/2
- 2 4/8
To multiply 4 by -5/8, we multiply the numerators and the denominators separately:
4 * -5 = -20
1 * 8 = 8
The result is -20/8. To simplify this fraction, we divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 4.
-20 divided by 4 is -5.
8 divided by 4 is 2.
So, -20/8 simplifies to -5/2. Therefore, the answer as a mixed number in simplest form is -2 1/2.
To multiply 4 by -5/8, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Multiply the whole number 4 by the numerator of the fraction -5/8:
4 * (-5) = -20
Step 2: Write the result from Step 1 as the numerator of the mixed number.
Step 3: The denominator of the mixed number remains the same, which is 8.
Step 4: Simplify the fraction -20/8.
-20/8 simplifies to -5/2.
Therefore, the answer is -5/2 in simplest form, which can also be written as -2 1/2.