Henry needs to solve the problem 5 1/2- 1 3/7. What is the difference?

Answer 1

To solve the problem 5 1/2 - 1 3/7, we need to find a common denominator. The denominator for 1/2 is 2, and the denominator for 3/7 is 7. The common denominator is 14.

Now, we need to convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions:
5 1/2 = (5*2 + 1)/2 = 11/2
1 3/7 = (1*7 + 3)/7 = 10/7

Next, subtract the fractions:
11/2 - 10/7

To subtract fractions, we need to have the same denominator, which in this case is 14. So we need to convert 11/2 and 10/7 to have 14 as the denominator:
11/2 = (11*7)/(2*7) = 77/14
10/7 = (10*2)/(7*2) = 20/14

Now, we can subtract the fractions:
77/14 - 20/14 = (77-20)/14 = 57/14

So, the difference is 57/14.