Question

Brigid is building a table with her mom as a weekend project. She needs 5.875
feet of wood. What is this amount as a fraction? Express your answer as a fraction in simplified form.(1 point)
feet
Incorrect

Use place value to help convert the decimal to a fraction, then simplify the fraction if possible. The whole number in the decimal will be the whole number in the mixed number.

Answer 1

To convert the decimal 5.875 to a fraction, we can express it as a mixed number.

1. The whole number part of the decimal is 5.
2. Focus on the decimal part, which is 0.875.

Next, convert 0.875 to a fraction:
- 0.875 can be expressed as 875/1000 because there are three digits after the decimal point.
- Now, we simplify the fraction 875/1000.

To simplify:
- Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 875 and 1000. The GCD is 125.

Now, divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD:
\[
\frac{875 \div 125}{1000 \div 125} = \frac{7}{8}
\]

Now, combine the whole number part with the fraction:
\[
5.875 = 5 + 0.875 = 5 + \frac{7}{8} = \frac{5 \times 8 + 7}{8} = \frac{40 + 7}{8} = \frac{47}{8}
\]

So, the amount of wood Brigid needs, expressed as a fraction in simplified form, is:
\[
\frac{47}{8} \text{ feet}
\]