Evaluate the expression shown below and write your answer as a mixed number in simplest form:-4 1/4 divided by 1/2
To divide fractions, we can use the reciprocal of the divisor. In this case, we have:
-4 1/4 divided by 1/2
First, we convert the whole number to a fraction:
-4 1/4 = - (4/1 + 1/4) = - (16/4 + 1/4) = - (17/4)
Now, we can express the expression as a multiplication problem with the reciprocal:
- (17/4) * (2/1) = - (17/4) * (2/1) = - (34/4) = - 34/4
To simplify the fraction, we can divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 2:
- 34/4 = - (17/2)
Therefore, the expression -4 1/4 divided by 1/2 in simplest form is -17/2.