Question

Serena had yards of tape. She used yards to attach a sign to the wall. How many yards of tape does Serena have left? Express your answer in simplest form. yards

Answer 1

Serena had 7 4/9 yd of tape.
She used 2 1/9 yd.
How much tape does she have left?

        7 4/9
     -  2 1/9
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Since both fractions have the same denominator, and since the lower fraction is smaller than the upper fraction, you can subtract the fractions by subtracting the numerators and using the same denominator. Then also subtract the whole numbers.

        7 4/9
     -  2 1/9
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        5 3/9

The difference is 5 3/9.
3/9 can be reduced since both 3 and 9 are divisible by 3, so we divide both 3 and 9 by 3 to get 1/3.

Answer: 5 1/3 yards