<PRE><B>Question 84622</B>
to multiiply 2 1/2 X 3 1/4
can you multiply 2x3 and 1/2 by  1/4

The short answer is no.

To solve this problem you need 2 1/2 times the 3 and 2 1/2 times the 1/4.  The easiest way to solve this problem is to make them improper fractions.

2 1/2 = 2+ 1/2 = 4/2 + 1/2 = 5/2

3 1/4 = 3 + 1/4 = 12/4 + 1/4 = 13/4

So the problem now looks like
5/2 X 13/4

now you can multiply 5x13 to get 65
then you multiply 2x4 to get 8

so you end up with 65/8.

You can simplify this further.  We know that 8*8 is 64
65/8=64/8+1/8 = 8+1/8

So the answer is 8 1/8</PRE>