Let's keep in mind the conversion factors between mile, yard, feet and inches:
1 mile = 1760 yards
1 yard = 3 feets
1 feet = 12 inches
a) 3 mi. 26 yd.
We have:
8 mi. 133 yd. 2 ft. –
5 mi. 107 yd. 2 ft =
Here, we can simply do the substraction of each term, and we get:
(8-5) mi (133-107) yd (2-2) ft =
3 mi. 26 yd 0 ft =
3 mi. 26 yd.
b) 2 yd. 7 in.
We have:
2 yd. 2 ft. 6 in. –
0 yd. 1 ft. 11 in.
Here, we need to convert 1 feet into 12 inches and add them to the inches in the first term as follows:
2 yd. 2 ft. 6 in. = 2 yd. 1 ft. (6+12) in. = 2 yd. 1 ft. 18 in.
So now the subtraction becomes:
2 yd. 1 ft. 18 in. –
0 yd. 1 ft. 11 in.
and now we can simply do the substraction of each term, and we get:
(2-0) yd. (1-1) ft. (18-11) in. =
2 yd. 0 ft. 7 in. =
2 yd. 7 in.
c) 5 yd. 5 in.
We have:
6 yd. 0 ft. 0 in. –
0 yd. 2 ft. 7 in.
We have to "move" 1 yard into feets and inches in the first term, as follows:
6 yd. 0 ft. 0 in. = 5 yd. 3 ft. 0 in. = 5 yd. 2 ft. 12 in.
And now the subtraction becomes:
5 yd. 2 ft. 12 in. -
0 yd. 2 ft. 7 in. =
5 yd. 0 ft. 5 in. =
5 yd. 5 in.
d) 8 in.
We have:
8 yd. 0 ft. 4 in. –
7 yd. 2 ft. 8 in.
Again, let's convert the first term, moving yards into feets and inches:
8 yd. 0 ft. 4 in. = 7 yd. 3 ft. 4 in. = 7 yd. 2 ft. (4+12) in. = 7 yd. 2 ft. 16 in.
So now the subtraction is:
7 yd. 2 ft. 16 in. -
7 yd. 2 ft. 8 in. =
0 yd. 0 ft. 8 in. =
8 in.
