Question

Last Wednesday it snowed 3 1/4 in. On Sunday it snowed 3 4/5 in. On which day did it snow more? How much more?

Answer 1

let's firstly convert the mixed fractions to improper fractions. and then let's make them with the same denominator by simply multiplying each other by the other's denominator.

$\bf \stackrel{mixed}{3\frac{1}{4}}\implies \cfrac{3\cdot 4+1}{4}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{13}{4}}~\hfill \stackrel{mixed}{3\frac{4}{5}}\implies \cfrac{3\cdot 5+4}{5}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{19}{5}} \\\\[-0.35em] \rule{34em}{0.25pt}$

$\bf \textit{now let's \underline{multiply each other by the other's denominator}} \\\\\\ \cfrac{13}{4}\cdot \cfrac{5}{5}\implies \cfrac{65}{20}\qquad \qquad \qquad \cfrac{19}{5}\cdot \cfrac{4}{4}\implies \cfrac{76}{20}~\hfill \cfrac{65}{20}$

Answer 2

3 4/5 because when you make the denominators equal by multiplying 1/4 by 5 on both sides and 4/5 by 4 and both sides you will get 5/20 and 16/20