Question

during 7 1/2 months of hibernation, a black bear experienced a weight loss of 64.4 pounds. on average, what was the bear’s weight change per month? round to the nearest tenth. enter your answer in the box.

Explanation:

Step1: Convert mixed - number to improper fraction

$7\frac{1}{2}=\frac{7\times2 + 1}{2}=\frac{15}{2}$

Step2: Calculate weight change per month

Weight change per month = $\frac{\text{Total weight loss}}{\text{Number of months}}=\frac{64.4}{\frac{15}{2}}$
Since dividing by a fraction is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal, we have $\frac{64.4}{\frac{15}{2}}=64.4\times\frac{2}{15}=\frac{128.8}{15}\approx8.6$

Answer:

$8.6$