Find the Fraction: What Part Does the Blue Shaded Area Represent in the Grid

To solve this problem, we need to determine the fraction of the whole grid that is represented by the shaded (blue) area. The grid is a 10x10 layout, therefore containing a total of $10 \times 10 = 100$ equal-sized squares.

Step 1: We count the number of shaded squares in the grid. According to the illustration, there are 86 shaded squares.

Step 2: Calculate the fraction of the shaded area compared to the whole grid: $\frac{\text{Number of shaded squares}}{\text{Total number of squares}} = \frac{86}{100}$.

Step 3: Convert this fraction into a decimal. Dividing the numerator by the denominator gives us $0.86$.

Therefore, the shaded area represents $\frac{86}{100}$ of the total grid, which is equivalent to $0.86$.

This matches with the correct answer choice, which is: $0.86$ or $\frac{86}{100}$.