Final answer:
Ed needs to subtract the length he wants (5 3/4 feet), converted to an improper fraction (23/4), from the original length (8 1/3 feet), also as an improper fraction (25/3). After finding a common denominator, he will find that he needs to cut off 2 7/12 feet from the original pole.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ed needs to calculate how much of an 8 1/3 foot pole he should cut off to make it 5 3/4 feet long. First, he needs to convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions to make subtraction easier. The length to cut off would then be the difference between the original length and the desired length. The mixed number 8 1/3 feet can be converted to an improper fraction by multiplying the whole number 8 by the denominator 3 and then adding the numerator 1, resulting in 25/3 feet. The mixed number 5 3/4 feet would similarly be 23/4 feet. After converting both lengths to improper fractions (or decimals), you subtract 23/4 feet from 25/3 feet to find out how much to cut off.
To subtract these, we need a common denominator, which would be 12 in this case, making the lengths 100/12 feet and 69/12 feet respectively. Subtracting these gives us the length Ed needs to cut off: 100/12 - 69/12 = 31/12 feet, which is 2 7/12 feet when converted back to a mixed number.