Final answer:
Multiplying any number by 0.5 produces a rational number, because 0.5 is a rational number and the product of two rational numbers is rational.
Step-by-step explanation:
Any number multiplied by 0.5 produces a rational number because 0.5 is itself a rational number, and the product of two rational numbers is always rational. For example, if we multiply 0.5 by 2, we get 1 (since 0.5 is equivalent to ½ and ½ of 2 is 1). Similarly, multiplying 0.5 by a whole number such as 3, we get 1.5, which is also a rational number. In fact, you can multiply 0.5 by any integer, fraction, or rational decimal, including irrational numbers and still get a rational result, because multiplying by zero results in 0, which is rational.