What is 9 and five sixths times 2 and one eighth?

Answer 1

Nine and five sixths = 9 5/6. Two and one eighth = 2 1/8. Those are called mixed fractions: a whole number with a proper fraction. Although it's possible to multiply them without manipulating them, it's cumbersome, and converting them to improper fractions is easier. To convert them to improper fractions, multiply the whole number by the denominator of the fraction and then add the numerator to that product. Then place that answer over the denominator. So, for 9 5/6, multiply 9 by 6 and add 5 to get 59, and now place that over the denominator to get 59/6. Fifty-nine sixths is equal to 9 5/6. Do they same for the other one: 2 x 8 + 1 = 17. Now place the 17 over the 8 to get 17/8. We're not done yet. To multiply 59/6 and 17/8, multiply the two numerators together and the two denominators together to get the ungodly 1003/48. Usually, it is customary to "reduce" the fraction to its lowest terms, but that fraction cannot be reduced. And many teachers don't like improper fractions, so you may have to create a mixed fraction out of it. To do that, divide 1003 by 48. That will give you a whole number and a remainder. The whole number is 20 and the remainder is 43, so the mixed fraction is 20 43/48, that is, 20 and forty-three forty-eighths.