Eight inches of heavy, wet snow are equivalent to four inches of rain. Estimate the water content in 17 inches of heavy, wet snow. > Eight inches of heavy, wet snow are equivalent to four inches of rain. Estimate the water content in 17 inches of heavy, wet snow. Ok I get 8.4 as the answer for this problem but by calculator I get 8.5 and the answer that is right is 8.5. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong since I do the same steps on the calculator as when I'm writing it by hand. $$17 \cdot 4 = 68, 68/8 = 8.5 $$ When I divide by hand I get 8.4 every time 8 goes into 68 8 times with a remainder of 4. what should I be doing to get the correct answer?

The remainder is $4$, but $8.5$ does not mean that the remainder when dividing by $8$ is equal to $5$.

The decimal point means that whatever number follows is the number of tenths in the answer, so $8.5=8+\frac{5}{10} = 8 + \frac12$. This is the correct answer because, when dividing $68$ by $8$, you get $8$ and a remainder of $4$, and if you divide that remainder by $8$, you get $\frac48 = \frac12$, meaning that $68 / 8 = 8 + \frac42 = 8 + \frac12 = 8.5$