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)

Answer 1

To convert the decimal 5.875 into a fraction, we follow these steps:

1. **Break down the decimal**:
\[
5.875 = 5 + 0.875
\]

2. **Convert 0.875 into a fraction**:
- Recognize that \( 0.875 \) is equal to \( \frac{875}{1000} \) since there are three digits after the decimal.
- Now simplify \( \frac{875}{1000} \).

3. **Simplifying \( \frac{875}{1000} \)**:
- Both the numerator and the denominator can be divided by 125:
\[
875 \div 125 = 7 \\
1000 \div 125 = 8
\]
- Thus, \( \frac{875}{1000} = \frac{7}{8} \).

4. **Combine the integer part with the fraction**:
\[
5 + \frac{7}{8} = \frac{5 \cdot 8 + 7}{8} = \frac{40 + 7}{8} = \frac{47}{8}.
\]

5. **Final answer**:
The amount of wood Brigid needs, in simplified fraction form, is:
\[
\boxed{\frac{47}{8}}.
\]