Question

Can you help me solve this in simplest form 17 1/3 - 2 1/4

Answer 1

We are given the following expression:

$17\frac{1}{3}-2\frac{1}{4}$

To solve the expression we will first rewrite the mixed fractions using the following:

$m\frac{a}{b}=m+\frac{a}{b}$

Rewriting the mixed fractions we get:

$17\frac{1}{3}-2\frac{1}{4}=17+\frac{1}{3}-2-\frac{1}{4}$

Now we associate the whole numbers and the fractions:

$17+\frac{1}{3}-2-\frac{1}{4}=(17-2)+(\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{4})$

Adding the whole numbers we get:

$(17-2)+(\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{4})=15+(\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{4})$

Now we add the fractions:

$15+(\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{4})=15+\frac{1}{12}$

Now, we rewrite it as a mixed fraction and we get:

$15+\frac{1}{12}=15\frac{1}{12}$