# Subtracting Fractions

• April 29th 2006, 12:36 PM
stomper12000
Subtracting Fractions
Rosa has 6 3/5 yards of material. Her new skirt will take 4 2/3 yards. How much material will she have left after the skirt is made?

Is this solved by using division or subtraction. It looks like subtraction to me but I can't fix this. Thanks for any assistance.
• April 29th 2006, 09:12 PM
earboth
Quote:

Originally Posted by stomper12000
Rosa has 6 3/5 yards of material. Her new skirt will take 4 2/3 yards. How much material will she have left after the skirt is made?
Is this solved by using division or subtraction.
It looks like subtraction to me ...

Hello,

you are right.

You have to calculate 6 3/5 yd - 4 2/3 yd. Before you can do so, transform the mixed numbers into fractions:

6 3/5 yd = 33/5 yd
4 2/3 yd = 14/3 yd

Then calculate:
$\frac{33}{5} yd-\frac{14}{3} yd$

You need a common denominator, which is here: 15. So you'll get:

$\frac{3 \cdot 33}{3 \cdot 5}yd-\frac{5 \cdot 14}{5 \cdot 3}yd=\frac{99-70}{15}yd$

The result is: $\frac{29}{15} yd = 1 \frac{14}{15} yd$

Greetings

EB
• May 30th 2006, 12:32 AM
mathmaster
Quote:

Originally Posted by stomper12000
Rosa has 6 3/5 yards of material. Her new skirt will take 4 2/3 yards. How much material will she have left after the skirt is made?

Is this solved by using division or subtraction. It looks like subtraction to me but I can't fix this. Thanks for any assistance.

:confused:
easier terms

6 3/5 = 33/5
4 2/3 = 14/3

therefore

33/5 = 99/15
14/3 = 70/15

99-70 = 29

29/15 which is 1 14/15 yard of material is left
:D
:cool:
:rolleyes:
• June 18th 2006, 11:36 PM
moshiman
basically, it means that before doing anything else, you have to make the fractions you're using have the same denominator. :o