Thread: how long is the bolt?

hey everybody,
i'm new to the forums and i'm new to math too. so please excuse me if my questions seem pretty elementary. i was wondering if you could not only provide the answer but also explain "how" you came to the answer. thanks man......i appreciate it.

a 3 inch bolt passes through 1 1/2 inches of pine board, a 1/16 inch washer, and a 1/8 inch nut. how many inches does the bolt extend beyond the board, washer and nut if the head of the bolt is a 1/4 inch long?

This is a fraction question obviously. The best trick not to make a mistake is to make a drawing.
You are told that you have 3" bolt with 1/4" head. It leaves 2 3/4" of "real bolt".
It goes through 1 1/2" of pine board, a 1/16" washer, and a 1/8" nut.
Common denominator is the key.

Bolt:

You substract to find
I may have made a mistake so I suggest you redo the calculations.
Don't hesitate to ask further questions.