Question

as part of her marathon training, wendy ran 8 4/5 miles yesterday and 5 1/2 miles the day before. how much farther did wendy run yesterday than the day before? write your answer as a fraction or as a whole or mixed number.

Explanation:

Step1: Convert mixed - numbers to improper fractions

$8\frac{4}{5}=\frac{8\times5 + 4}{5}=\frac{40+4}{5}=\frac{44}{5}$; $5\frac{1}{2}=\frac{5\times2+1}{2}=\frac{10 + 1}{2}=\frac{11}{2}$

Step2: Find a common denominator

The common denominator of 5 and 2 is 10. $\frac{44}{5}=\frac{44\times2}{5\times2}=\frac{88}{10}$; $\frac{11}{2}=\frac{11\times5}{2\times5}=\frac{55}{10}$

Step3: Subtract the fractions

$\frac{88}{10}-\frac{55}{10}=\frac{88 - 55}{10}=\frac{33}{10}=3\frac{3}{10}$

Answer:

$3\frac{3}{10}$