<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="1; url=/nojavascript/"> Products of Mixed Numbers ( Real World ) | Arithmetic | CK-12 Foundation

# Products of Mixed Numbers

%
Progress
Practice Products of Mixed Numbers
Progress
%
Dog Dosages

Credit: Guy Hayes/U.S. Army
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39582141@N06/7096472197

Do you know why veterinarians need to know how to multiply mixed numbers? A veterinarian has the important job of taking care of many different types of animals, including pets, livestock, and zoo animals. In order to care for these animals, a veterinarian must study animal science, medicine, and math.

#### Why It Matters

In addition to handling well visits and checkups, veterinarians care for animals that are sick. Sometimes, those animals are in need of medication that can help them to heal and be well again. When working with dosages of medication, veterinarians must be exact in their prescriptions. Otherwise, an animal might be harmed more than it is helped. Multiplying mixed numbers is one way to calculate these exact measurements.

Credit: Lindsey Turner
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theogeo/3462596443/

Most medicine dosages depend on the weight of the animal. Imagine that a particular medicine recommended a daily dosage of $2 \frac{1}{4}$ ounces for a 30-pound dog. However, let's say that your canine patient weighs 75 pounds. That is $2 \frac{1}{2}$ times greater than the prescribed weight. What do you do? Multiply mixed numbers.

Take the dosage, $2 \frac{1}{4}$ oz., and multiply it by $2 \frac{1}{2}$:

$2 \frac{1}{4} \times 2 \frac{1}{2} = \frac{9}{4} \times \frac{5}{2} = \frac{45}{8} = 5 \frac{5}{8}$

Given these figures, the recommended dosage for the 75-pound dog would be $5 \frac{5}{8}$ oz. of the medicine.

See for yourself what it takes to become a veterinarian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33DlqLwh_M

#### Explore More

Review how to multiply mixed numbers with the following links.

1. [1]^ Credit: Guy Hayes/U.S. Army; Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39582141@N06/7096472197; License: CC BY-NC 3.0
2. [2]^ Credit: Lindsey Turner; Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theogeo/3462596443/; License: CC BY-NC 3.0

### Explore More

Sign in to explore more, including practice questions and solutions for Products of Mixed Numbers.