A bowl weighs StartFraction 11 Over 40 EndFraction
 lb. Express this as a decimal.  Explain how you can find the decimal by thinking of the denominator as a 4 and then using mental math.


To express \( \frac{11}{40} \) as a decimal, follow these steps:

1. **Break the denominator down into parts that are easier to work with**:  
   Notice that 40 is 4 times 10. So, you can rewrite the fraction as:  
   \[
   \frac{11}{40} = \frac{11}{4 \times 10} = \frac{11}{4} \times \frac{1}{10}
   \]

2. **Find \( \frac{11}{4} \) using mental math**:  
   Divide 11 by 4. This is a simpler division and you can do it mentally:  
   \[
   \frac{11}{4} = 2.75
   \]

3. **Divide by 10 to account for the denominator 40**:  
   Now, since \( \frac{11}{40} = \frac{11}{4} \times \frac{1}{10} \), divide 2.75 by 10, which just moves the decimal point one place to the left:  
   \[
   2.75 \div 10 = 0.275
   \]

So, \( \frac{11}{40} \) as a decimal is **0.275**.

### Summary:
- Think of 40 as 4 × 10.
- Divide 11 by 4 to get 2.75.
- Then divide by 10 to get 0.275.

Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions to extend this topic:
1. How would you express \( \frac{5}{8} \) as a decimal using mental math?
2. What is the decimal of \( \frac{7}{25} \) by using a similar breakdown?
3. How would you convert \( \frac{17}{20} \) into a decimal?
4. Can you express \( \frac{9}{50} \) as a decimal using mental math?
5. How would you convert \( \frac{3}{5} \) into a decimal without a calculator?

### Tip:
Dividing by powers of 10 is easy—just move the decimal point to the left by as many places as the number of zeros in the power of 10!

A bowl weighs StartFraction 11 Over 40 EndFraction lb. Express this as a decimal. Explain how you can find the decimal by thinking of the denominator as a 4 and then using mental math.

Learn how to convert the fraction 11/40 into a decimal using mental math. This step-by-step guide simplifies the process by breaking down the denominator and using mental division, making it accessible for students in Grades 5-6.

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