Multiply −2 1/2 by −1 3/5 . Write the answer as a decimal.(1 point)

Question

Responses

2.86
2.86

−4
negative 4

4
4

−4.1
negative 4.1

Answer 1

To multiply the mixed numbers \(-2 \frac{1}{2}\) and \(-1 \frac{3}{5}\), we first need to convert them to improper fractions.

1. Convert \(-2 \frac{1}{2}\) to an improper fraction: \[ -2 \frac{1}{2} = -\frac{5}{2} \]

2. Convert \(-1 \frac{3}{5}\) to an improper fraction: \[ -1 \frac{3}{5} = -\frac{8}{5} \]

Now we can multiply the two fractions:

\[ -\frac{5}{2} \times -\frac{8}{5} \]

When multiplying two negative numbers, the result is positive:

\[ \frac{5 \cdot 8}{2 \cdot 5} = \frac{40}{10} = 4 \]

Now, writing \(4\) as a decimal:

The decimal form of \(4\) is simply \(4.0\).

So, the correct response is:

4