The school handyman measured the space needed for a new computer monitor in the science room at 20 3/4 inches. Which of these measures is not more precise?
A. 20 1/2 inches
B. 20 7/8 inches
C. 20 15/16 inches
D. 20 21/32 inches
Precision is related to how close you are to the exact measurement.
You are most accurate with 21/32 inches.
To determine which measure is not more precise than 20 3/4 inches, you need to compare the given measures with the precision of 20 3/4 inches.
The denominator represents the number of equal parts the whole is divided into, and the numerator is the number of those parts you have.
Let's convert the given measures into fractions:
A. 20 1/2 inches = 20 2/4 = 20 4/8 = 20/8 = 10/4 = 5/2
B. 20 7/8 inches = 20 7/8
C. 20 15/16 inches = 20 15/16
D. 20 21/32 inches = 20 21/32
By comparing the denominators, you can determine which measure is more precise. The larger the denominator, the more precise the measure.
A. 20 2/4 inches = 20/4 = 5/1 = 5
B. 20 7/8 inches = 20/8 = 5/2 = 2.5
C. 20 15/16 inches = 20/16 = 5/4 = 1.25
D. 20 21/32 inches = 20/32 = 5/8 = 0.625
By comparing the decimal values, you can now determine the measure that is not more precise:
A. 5
B. 2.5
C. 1.25
D. 0.625
In this case, 0.625 is the least precise measure because its decimal value is the smallest among the given options. Therefore, the answer is D. 20 21/32 inches is not more precise than 20 3/4 inches.