Question

jane has 5 yards of fabric. she uses 1\frac{7}{8} yards to make a skirt. about how much fabric does jane have left after making the skirt? 1 yard 2 yards 3 yards 4 yards

Explanation:

Step1: Approximate the used fabric

The used fabric is \(1\frac{7}{8}\) yards. Since \(\frac{7}{8}\) is close to 1, \(1\frac{7}{8}\approx2\) yards.

Step2: Calculate the remaining fabric

Jane initially has 5 yards. Subtract the approximate used fabric: \(5 - 2 = 3\) yards. But we can also do it more accurately by first noting that \(1\frac{7}{8}=\frac{15}{8}\). Then \(5-\frac{15}{8}=\frac{40}{8}-\frac{15}{8}=\frac{25}{8}=3\frac{1}{8}\), which is about 3 yards.

Answer:

3 yards