1. Problem statement: Compute the area $A$ given $A = 3.75 \times 8$. 2. Strategy: Convert the decimal to a fraction to make multiplication easier and avoid decimal errors. 3. Convert the decimal: $$3.75 = \frac{375}{100}$$ 4. Set up the multiplication: $$A = 3.75 \times 8$$ 5. Substitute the fraction and combine factors: $$A = \frac{375}{100} \times 8 = \frac{375 \times 8}{100}$$ 6. Multiply the numerator: $$A = \frac{3000}{100}$$ 7. Simplify by canceling the common factor 100: $$A = \frac{\cancel{100} \cdot 30}{\cancel{100}} = 30$$ 8. Final answer: $A = 30$.