Question

A person is to install five devices each 6 and 7/8 inches wide with 3 1/2 inches between switches. How much space will be needed to mount these switches?

Answer 1

`34(3)/(8)\ in`

Explanation:

we know that

To find out how much space will be needed to mount these switches, multiply the number of devices by the wide of each device plus the distance between switches multiplied by 4 (number of devices minus 1)

so

`5(6(7)/(8))+4(3(1)/(2))`

Convert mixed number to an improper fraction

`6(7)/(8)\ in=(6*8+7)/(8)=(55)/(8)\ in`

`3(1)/(2)\ in=(3*2+1)/(2)=(7)/(2)\ in`

substitute the values in the expression above

`5((55)/(8))+4((7)/(2))`

`((275)/(8))+14`

`(275+112)/(8)`

`(387)/(8)\ in`

convert to mixed number

`(387)/(8)\ in=(384)/(8)+(3)/(8)=34(3)/(8)\ in`