33.3k views
1 vote
Tom found two wooden planks. One was 3 1/4 feet long and the second was 4 3/8 feet long. He used 5 feet of them for a project. How much is left over?

User Jimis
by
8.4k points

1 Answer

4 votes

let's firstly convert the mixed fractions to improper fractions.


\bf \stackrel{mixed}{3(1)/(4)}\implies \cfrac{3\cdot 4+1}{4}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{13}{4}}~\hfill \stackrel{mixed}{4(3)/(8)}\implies \cfrac{4\cdot 8+3}{8}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{35}{8}} \\\\[-0.35em] ~\dotfill


\bf \stackrel{\textit{first one}}{\cfrac{13}{4}}+\stackrel{\textit{second one}}{\cfrac{35}{8}}-\stackrel{\textit{were used}}{5}\implies\cfrac{13}{4}+\cfrac{35}{8}-\cfrac{5}{1}\implies \stackrel{\textit{using an LCD of 8}}{\cfrac{(2)13~+~(1)35~+~(8)5}{8}} \\\\\\ \cfrac{26+35-40}{8}\implies \cfrac{21}{8}\implies 2(5)/(8)

User Roman Samoilenko
by
7.0k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.

9.4m questions

12.2m answers

Categories