Final answer:
To compare the fractions 5/14 and 3/8, they were first rewritten with a common denominator of 56, resulting in the fractions 20/56 and 21/56 respectively. Hence, it was determined that 5/14 is less than 3/8.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking to compare the fractions 5/14 and 3/8 by finding a common denominator and then using a comparison symbol (<, =, or >) to order them.
To find a common denominator, we need to find the least common multiple (LCM) of the two denominators, 14 and 8.
The LCM of 14 and 8 is 56. We can now convert the fractions to have this common denominator.
For the fraction 5/14, we multiply both the numerator and denominator by 4 to get the equivalent fraction 20/56.
For the fraction 3/8, we multiply both numerator and denominator by 7 to get the equivalent fraction 21/56.
Now we compare the numerators since the denominators are the same, and we can see that 20/56 < 21/56. Therefore, 5/14 < 3/8.