Question

A construction worker needs 3 2/3 pounds of concrete mix. He has 1 1/2 pounds of concrete mix in one bag, and he has 3/10 pounds of concrete mix in another bag. How many more pounds of concrete mix does the construction worker need?

Answer 1

The construction worker needs an additional 1 13/15 pounds of concrete mix to have the total 3 2/3 pounds required for the job.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student wants to know how many more pounds of concrete mix the construction worker needs if he already has 1 1/2 pounds and 3/10 pounds, and needs a total of 3 2/3 pounds.

First, convert all mixed numbers to improper fractions to simplify the calculation: 1 1/2 becomes 3/2, and 3 2/3 becomes 11/3. Next, sum the fractions that the construction worker already has: 3/2 plus 3/10. To add these, find a common denominator, which is 10. The sum becomes 15/10 + 3/10 = 18/10 or 1 8/10 pounds. Now subtract this from the total needed: 11/3 - 18/10. To subtract these fractions, find a common denominator, which is 30. This makes the calculation 110/30 - 54/30 = 56/30, which simplifies to 1 26/30 or 1 13/15 pounds. Thus, the construction worker needs 1 13/15 more pounds of concrete mix.