## anonymous 5 years ago Which one is bigger, 5 3/4 or 5.825???

1. anonymous

So remember that with a mixed fraction, you can convert the fractional part to a decimal and just add. 3/4 as a decimal is 0.75, and 5+0.75=5.75. Should be easier to compare now :)

2. anonymous

Can you explain this on a 5th grader's level?

3. anonymous

It is due Monday!

4. anonymous

To compare the two kinds of numbers (mixed fraction and decimal), it's easier to have them both be in the same form. One way to do it in this case is to convert $$5\frac{3}{4}$$ to a decimal. $$5\frac{3}{4}$$ is the same as $$5+\frac{3}{4}$$. Since 5 is already a decimal, all you have to do is convert $$\frac{3}{4}$$ into a decimal. You can do this by plugging it in your calculator and finding the result is 0.75. Adding 5 and 0.75 gives you 5.75, so the question now becomes, is 5.75 bigger than 5.825, or not?

5. anonymous

Oh!!! So 5.75 is bigger?

6. anonymous

Well... what happens if you subtract 5.825 from 5.75?

7. anonymous

Ummm, it is o.75?

8. anonymous

Right?

9. anonymous

Not quite. Let's take a step back. What happens if you subtract five from 5.75? Remember that 5 is the same as 5.00 (the zeros after the decimal don't matter), so it's the same as: \begin{align*} 5&.75 -5&.00 \end{align*}

10. anonymous

\begin{align} 5&.75\\ -5&.00 \end{align}

11. anonymous

75?

12. anonymous

Don't forget to drop down the decimal point!

13. anonymous

so .75?

14. anonymous

Exactly. Now what happens if you subtract 5 from 5.825?

15. anonymous

If you're having trouble, do the same thing I did above. This would look like: \begin{align} 5&.825\\ -5&.000 \end{align} Since the 0s don't matter again.

16. anonymous

825?

17. anonymous

The poor decimal point got left out again :)

18. anonymous

sorry!

19. anonymous

What do I do now?

20. anonymous

Now you've got 0.825 and 0.75. Can you see which of those is bigger?

21. anonymous

Yes. 0.825!

22. anonymous

Excellent! Now, you subtracted 5 from both 5.825 and from 5.75 to get 0.825 and 0.75. So since 0.825 is bigger than 0.75, what does that say about which one is bigger between 5.825 and 5.75?

23. anonymous

5.825 is bigger than 5 3/4?

24. anonymous

Right?

25. anonymous

Yes! Sorry, went away for a bit.

26. anonymous

Can you help me some more?

27. anonymous

Sure.

28. anonymous

Thanks!

29. anonymous

30. anonymous

hello?

31. anonymous

Okay, to add fractions you need to make sure they have the same denominator. Can you give me two example ones you need to add?

32. anonymous

1/2 and 5/9? I have to write it as a mixed number in simplest form.

33. anonymous

You are a great toutor :)

34. anonymous

Okay. So like I said, the first step is making sure they have the same denominator. To do that, first you have to understand that if I multiply a fraction by a number over itself, then it stays the same. So, as an example, if I were to multiply a fraction by $$\frac{3}{3}$$ or $$\frac{5}{5}$$ or $$\frac{9}{9}$$, then it would stay the same. Are you clear with that?

35. anonymous

Nope! I am only in 5th grade.

36. anonymous

So what do you get if you divide two by two?

37. anonymous

1?

38. anonymous

Exactly. And if you divide three by three, or four by four, or 17 by 17, you still get one, right?

39. anonymous

Correct!

40. anonymous

The next step....

41. anonymous

Awesome. And what happens if you multiply a number by one?

42. anonymous

The same number.

43. anonymous

Does this have something to do with fractions?

44. anonymous

Sorry, that was rude :(

45. anonymous