Question

The value of a mutual fund increased by 3 1/8%. How do you write 3 1/8% as a fraction in simplest form?

Answer 1

`1/32`

Explanation:

Note that the symbol % is a sort of unit of measurement but one that is worth `1/100`

So `3 1/8%" "->" "3 1/8 xx %" "->" "3 1/8xx1/100`

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Consider just the `3 1/8`

Write as `3+1/8`

Multiply by 1 and you do not change the value. However, 1 comes in many forms so you can change the way a fraction looks without changing its intrinsic value.

`color(green)([3color(red)(xx1)]+1/8" "->" "[3color(red)(xx8/8)]+1/8)`

`" "color(green)(->" " 24/8+1/8`

`" "->" "25/8`
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Putting it all together we have:

`" "color(red)(25/8)xx color(purple)(1/100)`

This is the same as: `" "color(purple)(1/(color(red)(8))xx(color(red)(cancel(25)^1))/(cancel(100)^4)`

`" "=1/32`