can't do it as is... you must convert the mixed number to an improper fraction to multiply
To convert the mixed number to a fraction you multiply the denominator and the number in front and then add that to the numerator then you put that number over the original denominator
ex. 2 1/3 = (3 x 2 + 1)/3 =7/3
then you can multiply:
7/3 X 4/5 = 28/15
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Convert the mixed number to an improper fraction and proceed normally.
The question is ambiguous. Do you want to know how to multiply a fraction by a whole number, as well as by a mixed number? Or are you asking how to multiply a whole number by a mixed number and express the product as a fraction? Or what?
The definition is the same as the definition of just about any division. Dividing by a number can be defined as multiplying by the reciprocal of the number. The reciprocal is the number which, when multiplied by a number, results in a product of 1. For example, dividing by 2 is defined as multiplying by 1/2 (since 2 x 1/2 = 1). Division can also be defined as finding a solution of an inverse multiplication problem. For example, 5 / 2 = x is equivalent to x times 2 = 5; thus, the division can be defined as finding a number that solves the multiplication. Although I didn't use mixed fractions in the above examples, the definitions are exactly the same for mixed numbers.
Let's say that you were multiplying 10 by 2/5 , you would turn the 10 into 10/1 which is still equal to 10 then you multiply 10/1 and 2/5 by multiplying the numerators (the top numbers) and the denominators (the bottom numbers) 10*2/1*5 = 20/5 = 4
This has the effect of producing a denominator in the answer that has each of the original denominators as factors. You don't have to worry about simplifying the fractions before multiplying. Of course, you may have to simplify after multiplying. There's no way out.