Question

2. Kate has yards of fabric and needs yards to make a skirt. How much extra fabric will she have left after making the skirt 4

Answer 1

I say 1 1/2 yards because you need to subtract 4 3/8 by 2 7/8. If you do subtract you would get 2 and -4/8 so you have you take away one from two which would be 1 4/8. Since 4+4 = 8 it would equal half so that the complete answer would be 1 1/2.

Answer 2

The problem poses a subtraction, first thing you need to do is convert the whole number into fraction as follows:

4 3/8  

4 (whole number) * 8 (denominator) = 32

32 + 3 (Numerator) = 35 (New numerator)

35/8

And the same with the other  

2 7/8  

2 * 8 = 16  

16 + 7 = 23

23/8

Now you have 35/8 – 23/8

Due to the denominator are the same here we just need to subtract the numerators as follows:

35 – 23 = 12

12/8

Now to become this into a mixed fraction again we do the following process  

12 ÷ 8 = 1 with a remainder of 4, this as a fraction is 1 4/8  and this is the extra fabric she will have after making the skirt