First, let’s rewrite the problem:
4 1/4 • -1/2
There are a couple of things to do, so let’s start by converting -1/2 to fourths:
1 • 2 = 2
2 • 2 = 4
When we add the negative sign back, we will find that -1/2 = -2/4. Now, let’s convert the mixed number into an improper fraction:
4 1/4
4 • 4 = 16
16 + 1 = 17
Our improper fraction conversion is 17/4.
Now we can solve accordingly:
17/4 • -2/4 = -34/16
This fraction can be reduced:
-34 / 2 = -17
16 / 2 = 8
Our final fraction is -17/8.
4 1/4 • -1/2 = -17/8 OR -2 1/8
