Question

Amy compared ( 4/2 ) and ( 5/8 ) by first comparing each tion to 1.

Step 1: ( 4/2 ) is greater than 1.
Step 2: ( 5/8 ) is greater than 1.
Step 3: So, ( 4/2 > 5/8 )
In which step did Amy make her first mistake?

a) Step 1
b) Step 2
c) Step 3
d) Amy did not make a mistake.

Answer 1

Amy's first mistake is in Step 2, where she incorrectly states that (5/8) is greater than 1. The correct evaluation should be that (5/8) is less than 1, which leads to recognizing that (4/2), which equals 2, is indeed greater than (5/8).

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question is related to comparing two fractions, (4/2) and (5/8). Amy made her first mistake in Step 2 when she incorrectly stated that (5/8) is greater than 1. To compare fractions with 1, you can see if the numerator (top number) is greater or less than the denominator (bottom number). Since 5 is less than 8, (5/8) is less than 1. Therefore, Step 2 should correctly state that (5/8) is less than 1, not greater.

Step 1: (4/2) is greater than 1. This statement is correct because when you divide 4 by 2, you get 2, which is indeed greater than 1.

Step 2: Amy incorrectly states that (5/8) is greater than 1, which is her first mistake.

Step 3 occurs as a consequence of the previous mistake, leading to an incorrect comparison of the two fractions. The correct comparison would acknowledge that (4/2) is greater than 1 while (5/8) is less than 1, and therefore, (4/2) > (5/8) is a true statement but not for the reasons Amy provided.