5/8 times 8
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to perform a multiplication operation involving a fraction and a whole number. Specifically, we need to multiply 5/8 by 8, which will help us understand how fractions interact with whole numbers.
Answer
5
Answer for screen readers
5
Steps to Solve
- Set up the multiplication
To solve the problem, we start by writing down the multiplication of the fraction and the whole number:
$$ \frac{5}{8} \times 8 $$
- Rewrite the whole number as a fraction
A whole number can be expressed as a fraction by placing it over 1:
$$ \frac{5}{8} \times \frac{8}{1} $$
- Multiply the fractions
To multiply two fractions, multiply the numerators together and the denominators together:
$$ \frac{5 \times 8}{8 \times 1} $$
- Calculate the numerator and denominator
Now we perform the multiplication in the numerator and denominator:
$$ \frac{40}{8} $$
- Simplify the fraction
Next, we simplify $\frac{40}{8}$ by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (which is 8):
$$ \frac{40 \div 8}{8 \div 8} = \frac{5}{1} $$
- Write the final answer
Lastly, we can express $\frac{5}{1}$ as just 5:
$$ 5 $$
5
More Information
When multiplying a fraction by a whole number, the whole number essentially multiplies the numerator. In this case, multiplying $\frac{5}{8}$ by 8 gives us back the whole number 5. This demonstrates how fractions and whole numbers can interact seamlessly in multiplication.
Tips
One common mistake is forgetting to convert the whole number into a fraction before performing the multiplication. Always remember to represent whole numbers as fractions (e.g., $8$ as $\frac{8}{1}$) when multiplying with fractions.
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