Solve: Multiplying 8.5 × 10 and Dividing by 2

When you have a fraction like this, the multiplication in the numerator must be done before dividing by the denominator. Think of it as $\frac{8.5 \times 10}{2}$ - you need the complete numerator first!

If you divided 8.5 ÷ 2 = 4.25 first, then multiplied by 10, you'd get 42.5 - the same answer! But this only works because multiplication and division have equal priority. Always follow proper order to avoid mistakes in harder problems.

When multiplying any decimal by 10, just move the decimal point one place to the right! So 8.5 becomes 85.0 or simply 85.

You get 42.5 because 85 ÷ 2 doesn't divide evenly. This is normal! Many real-world problems have decimal answers, so don't worry if your result isn't a whole number.

Use reverse operations: multiply 42.5 × 2 = 85, then divide 85 ÷ 10 = 8.5. Since you get back to the original number, your answer is correct!