Question

1. amalia buys $3\frac{7}{8}$ yards of material at the fabric store. she uses it to make a skirt. afterward, she has $1\frac{3}{8}$ yards of the fabric left over. how many yards of material did amalia use?

Explanation:

Step1: Convert mixed numbers to improper fractions

$3\frac{7}{8} = \frac{3\times8 + 7}{8} = \frac{31}{8}$
$1\frac{3}{8} = \frac{1\times8 + 3}{8} = \frac{11}{8}$

Step2: Subtract leftover from total fabric

$\frac{31}{8} - \frac{11}{8} = \frac{20}{8}$

Step3: Simplify the fraction

$\frac{20}{8} = \frac{5}{2} = 2\frac{1}{2}$

Answer:

$2\frac{1}{2}$ yards