fractions**HELP PLEASE**

[Kim Hough]

3 1/3 -2 2/5 = im 40 years old and have no clue how to do this stuff anymore

 

[mmm4444bot]

3 1/3 - 2 2/5

have no clue how to do this stuff

Click HERE, to go to a beginner's web site for working with fractions and mixed numbers. For your exercise, you need to first convert those mixed numbers into improper-fraction form, followed by doing the subtraction and simplifying.

Lesson 7 explains converting mixed numbers to improper fractions, and Lesson 13 explains how to work with mixed numbers, but you may want to take a quick glance at some of the earlier lessons, first.

Please feel free to return to this thread and post any questions that you have about what you read.

Cheers :cool:

PS: If you post again, please let us know whether you have returned to school versus needing information about fractions for some other purpose.

 

[mmm4444bot]

If you prefer watching video lessons, here's an INDEX PAGE for lessons on fractions at the Khan Academy.

If none of these references click for you, try a Google search; there's a gazillion lessons on the Internet.

 

[HallsofIvy]

3 1/3 -2 2/5 = im 40 years old and have no clue how to do this stuff anymore

$\displaystyle 3= \frac{9}{3}$ so 3 and 1/3 is $\displaystyle \frac{9}{3}+ \frac{1}{3}= \frac{10}{3}$.
$\displaystyle 2= \frac{10}{5}$ so 2 and 2/5 is $\displaystyle \frac{10}{5}+ \frac{2}{5}= \frac{12}{5}$

To subtract $\displaystyle \frac{10}{3}- \frac{12}{5}$ we need "common denominators" which we can get by multiplying the numerator and denomminator of the first fraction by 5 and of the second fraction by 3:
$\displaystyle \frac{5(10)}{5(3)}- \frac{3(12)}{3(5)}= \frac{50}{15}- \frac{36}{15}= \frac{50- 36}{15}= \frac{14}{15}$
Since 14 is not divisible by either 3 or 5, the factors of 15, that fraction is not reducible.