john and George TOGUETHER raked 7/8 of the yard. John raked 3/4 of that amount? What part of the yard did john rake? Now, I know the answer and how to get it. I just don't understand the reasoning behind it. The way I read the problem makes me think that I have to substract 3/4 of 7/8. Or is it 3/4 of the entire yard not just 7/8? But the answer requires me to multiply both fractions to get the right answer. Why should I multiply and not substract to find out how much is 3/4 of 7/8.

Question

mathstudent55 · Answer

You are not understanding the problem correctly.
Let me try to do a drawing to make it easier to understand why you need multiplication.

mathstudent55 · Answer

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mathstudent55 · Answer

John and George together raked 7/8 of the yard.
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mathstudent55 · Answer

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