Question

Simplify and leave your answer as a proper fraction or a mixed number. 11 and 1/6 - 6 and 5/12. Enter your answer as a reduced mixed number or as a whole number.

Answer 1

Okay... this time it's subtraction... let's begin...
\[\huge 11\frac16-6\frac5{12}\]
Once again, separate the whole numbers from the fractions...
@qweqwe123123123123111 ready for round 2? :)

Answer 2

1/6 - 5/12 how do I do that the bottom numbers are different

Answer 3

Yeah, I know :P
Your teacher's not going to give you something too easy :P
Let's see
\[\huge \frac16\]
How do you turn the denominator into 12?

Answer 4

6 times 2 is 12 and 3 time 4 is 12

Answer 5

Let's look at 6 times 2 is twelve.
\[\huge \frac{1}{6\times2}\]
But multiplying 2 to the denominator and not to the numerator, is, shall we say, not fair ;)

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

So, we have to multiply 2 to the numerator, too :D
to keep it equal
\[\huge \frac{1\times2}{6\times2}\]

Answer 8

so 2/12

Answer 9

Yep :)
\[\huge \frac16 = \frac2{12}\]
This much clear?

Answer 10

so the answer is 2/12

Answer 11

No... but it does solve your problem of
\[\huge \frac16 - \frac5{12}\]
Having different denominators...

Answer 12

oh ok so what is the answer

Answer 13

Patience...
You have bigger problems than fractions not having the same denominator.
For instance, that difference, it's equal to...
\[\huge \frac16-\frac5{12}=\frac2{12}-\frac{5}{12}\]

Answer 14

so 3/12

Answer 15

2-5 = 3?
Are you sure? :P

Answer 16

2 -5 is -3

Answer 17

Oh, so you're working with integers are you? Very well :)
\[\huge 11-6+\frac16-\frac5{12}=?\]
First off, what's 11-6?

Answer 18

11 -6 is 5

Answer 19

That's right, so...
\[\huge5+\frac16-\frac5{12}=5+\frac2{12}-\frac{5}{12}\]

Answer 20

Now, we don't want to have this, where we're forced to deal with negatives and the like.
Remember 'borrowing' when you first learned subtraction with regrouping? We're going to do that here... We're going to borrow 1 from 5, and express it as 12/12... like so...
\[\huge 5 + \frac2{12}-\frac5{12}=4+\frac{12}{12}+\frac2{12}-\frac5{12}\]
Can you do it from here?

Answer 21

no

Answer 22

Well, what's this part...
\[\huge \frac{12}{12}+\frac{2}{12}-\frac{5}{12}\]?

Answer 23

so 8/12

Answer 24

How did you get 8/12?

Answer 25

no its 9/12

Answer 26

Okay, much better :)
So now we have
\[\huge 4 + \frac9{12}\]
Maybe you ought to make sure the fractions are reduced to lowest terms..

Answer 27

so 13/12

Answer 28

Is that right?

Answer 29

And you were so close....

13/12 is equivalant to 1 and 1/12

So how did you get from 4 + 9/12 to 1 and 1/12 ?

Answer 30

Okay... so far, I've told you one thing to remember when adding (or subtracting) fractions...
Number One: You DO NOT add (subtract) the denominators
Number Two: You ONLY ADD (or subtract) when the denominators are THE SAME

Answer 31

oh okay then what?

Answer 32

Well, you have a whole number and a fraction, and you were told to write in mixed number form. Mix away, but don't forget to reduce to lowest terms...

Answer 33

how do i do that?

Answer 34

Can you think of a single number that will divide evenly into both 9 and 12 ?

Answer 35

yea 3

Answer 36

Right.

So now divide both the top (numerator) AND the bottom (denominator) prts by 3 and what do you end up with?

Answer 37

huh what is the fraction that i am dividing the top by 3 and the bottom by 3

Answer 38

its 3/4

Answer 39

RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 40

9/12 = 3/4

Answer 41

so is 3/4 the answer

Answer 42

It's part of the answer.

3/4 is just 9/12 reduced to it's lowest terms.

But you must not forget the whole number that went along with 9/12 earlier.

Answer 43

you cant reduce 3/4

Answer 44

Because it's already in its lowest terms. Go figure :D

Answer 45

so what is the answer?

Answer 46

The answer is the WHOLE NUMBER part *AND* the FRACTION PART.

Both of them.

At the same time.

Together.

Answer 47

so 5 and 3/4

Answer 48

Hint: The original problem boiled down to 4 + 9/12, remember?

Answer 49

yea so what is the answer to the problem?

Answer 50

It's 4 + 9/12. except you have to reduce it to its lowest terms.

You've reduced 9/12 to its lowest terms. now all you have to do is add the 4!

Answer 51

so 4 and 3/4

Answer 52

There you go :D

Answer 53

so 4 and 3/4 is the answer right?

Answer 54

What does your heart tell you? LOL

Answer 55

yes but im not sure so thats y i'm asking you

Answer 56

You're going to have to learn to trust yourself, soon :D
Yes, that's the correct answer