Question

A patient with high blood pressure who weighs 220 pounds is put on a diet to lose 22 pounds in three months. The patient loses 10 3/8 pounds the first month and 10 3/8 pounds the second month. How much weight must be lost the third month for the goal to be achieved?

Answer 1

Given:

1st month:

`10(3)/(8)=(83)/(8)`

2nd month:

`10(3)/(8)=(83)/(8)`

3rd month is given by:

`22-(83)/(8)-(83)/(8)`
`22\cdot(8)/(8)=(176)/(8)`

Since the denominators are equal, we combine the fractions:

`(176)/(8)-(83)/(8)-(83)/(8)=(176-83-83)/(8)=(176-166)/(8)=(10)/(8)`

Simplify:

`(5)/(4)=1(1)/(4)`

Answer:

`\begin{equation*} 1(1)/(4) \end{equation*}`