Question

Kim is showing her steps to solve the expression -18.9 divided by 1/4.

In which step did Kim make an error?
step 1: 18.9 divided by 1/4th
Step 2: -18.9 x 4
step 3: 75.6
A) step one
B) step 2
C) step 3
D) there are no errors

Answer 1

The error occurred in Step 2 where Kim mistakenly multiplied instead of dividing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The error in Kim's steps is in Step 2.

Step 1: 18.9 divided by 1/4th is correct. This can be rewritten as 18.9 divided by 1/4, which is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal of 1/4, which is 4. So, the result is 18.9 x 4 = 75.6.

However, in Step 2, Kim multiplies -18.9 by 4 instead of dividing it by 1/4. This is incorrect. When dividing by a fraction, we multiply by its reciprocal, so the correct step would be -18.9 ÷ 1/4, which is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal of 1/4, which is 4. So, the correct result is -18.9 x 4 = -75.6.

Therefore, the error occurred in Step 2.