To convert the mixed number 3 12 into an improper fraction, you need to follow a simple process. First, understand that a mixed number consists of a whole part and a fractional part. In this case, the whole number is 3 and the fractional part is 12.
Next, you multiply the whole number (3) by the denominator of the fraction (the bottom number of 12 which is actually 1, since 12 can be interpreted as 12/1 for clarity). So, 3 times 1 equals 3.
After that, you add the numerator of the fraction (which is 12) to this result. So, we have 3 + 12 = 15.
Now, the next step is to keep the same denominator. Since our fraction part is 12, our denominator will be 1. Therefore, you write the result over the denominator. This gives you:
15/1
So, 3 12 as an improper fraction is 15/1. If you wanted to express it in more common terms, it can simply be written as 15 as the fraction indicates a whole number.