Converting Mixed Numbers to Fractions: 1 1/2 x 2 1/3
When working with mixed numbers, it's essential to convert them to improper fractions before performing any arithmetic operations. In this article, we'll explore how to convert 1 1/2 and 2 1/3 to fractions and then multiply them.
Converting 1 1/2 to a Fraction
To convert 1 1/2 to a fraction, we need to multiply the whole number part (1) by the denominator (2) and then add the numerator (1):
1 × 2 + 1 = 3
So, 1 1/2 as a fraction is:
3/2
Converting 2 1/3 to a Fraction
Similarly, to convert 2 1/3 to a fraction, we need to multiply the whole number part (2) by the denominator (3) and then add the numerator (1):
2 × 3 + 1 = 7
So, 2 1/3 as a fraction is:
7/3
Multiplying the Fractions
Now that we have converted both mixed numbers to fractions, we can multiply them:
3/2 × 7/3
To multiply fractions, we multiply the numerators (3 and 7) and multiply the denominators (2 and 3):
(3 × 7) / (2 × 3) = 21/6
We can simplify this fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD), which is 3:
21 ÷ 3 / 6 ÷ 3 = 7/2
Therefore, the result of multiplying 1 1/2 and 2 1/3 is 7/2 or 3 1/2.
