Multiply 4 by - 5/8. Write the answers as a mixed number in simplest form

To multiply 4 by - 5/8, multiply the whole number (4) by the numerator (5) and divide the product by the denominator (8).

4 * 5 = 20
20 / 8 = 2 remainder 4

Therefore, the answer is 2 and 4/8. Simplifying the fraction, we divide the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (which is 4):

2/4 = 1/2

So, the final answer is 2 and 1/2.

To multiply 4 by -5/8, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Multiply the whole number (4) by the numerator (-5) of the fraction:
4 * (-5) = -20

Step 2: Write the product (-20) as the numerator of the mixed number.

Step 3: Write the denominator of the fraction (8) as the denominator of the mixed number.

Step 4: Simplify the fraction to its simplest form.

The answer, in simplest form, is -20/8.