Question

Jacob has 17 yards of fabric. He uses 1 third of it to make a cape. How many yards of fabric does Jacob use for the cape? Solve on paper. Write your answer as a mixed number. 17 yards ? Jacob uses yards of fabric for the cape.

Answer 1

Joseph used
`5(2)/(3)\ yards\ of\ cape`

Explanation:

Total fabric available = 17 yards

fraction used = one-third = 1/3

Let us convert this fraction to actual number

He used one-third of total

=
`(1)/(3)\ of\ 17\\=(1)/(3) * (17)/(1) = (17)/(3)`

To convert to mixed number, look for the closest number to the numerator that the denominator in the fraction can divide, and write it as the whole number in the mixed fraction, the remainder becomes the numerator of the new fraction:

The closest number to 17 that 3 can divide without a remainder is 15 and 3 can divide 15, 5 times, while the remainder becomes 2

`\therefore (17)/(3) = 5(2)/(3)\ yards\ of\ cape`