How do you subtract #9\frac { 1} { 12} - 5\frac { 3} { 8} - 1\frac { 3} { 4}#?

1 Answer
Dec 20, 2016

#1 23/24#

Explanation:

Convert the mixed fractions to an improper fractions (numerator larger than the denominator)

#color(red)9 color(green)1/color(blue)12-color(red)5 color(green)3/color(blue)8-color(red)1 color(green)3/color(blue)4#

#=(color(red)9(color(blue)12)+color(green)1)/color(blue)12-(color(red)5(color(blue)8)+color(green)3)/color(blue)8-(color(red)1(color(blue)4)+color(green)3)/color(blue)4#

#=109/12-43/8-7/4#

Unify the denominators

#=(109color(brown)((2)))/(12color(brown)((2)))-(43color(brown)((3)))/(8color(brown)((3)))-(7color(brown)((6)))/(4color(brown)((6)))#

#=218/24-129/24-42/24#

#=(218-129-42)/24#

#=47/24#

You can stop here or convert the solution to a mixed fraction

#=(24+23)/24#

#=24/24+23/24#

#=1+23/24#

#=1 23/24#