Question

Maisie cuts 7 4/5 inches from a ribbon that is 10 1/5
inches long. How many inches remain on the ribbon? Your answer should be written as a mixed number.

Answer 1

To find out how much ribbon remains after Maisie cuts 7 4/5 inches from a 10 1/5 inch ribbon, we first convert both mixed numbers to improper fractions.

1. Convert 10 1/5 to an improper fraction:
\[
10 \times 5 + 1 = 50 + 1 = 51
\]
So,
\[
10 1/5 = \frac{51}{5}
\]

2. Convert 7 4/5 to an improper fraction:
\[
7 \times 5 + 4 = 35 + 4 = 39
\]
So,
\[
7 4/5 = \frac{39}{5}
\]

Now, we subtract the two improper fractions:
\[
\frac{51}{5} - \frac{39}{5} = \frac{51 - 39}{5} = \frac{12}{5}
\]

Next, convert \(\frac{12}{5}\) back to a mixed number. To do this, divide 12 by 5:
\[
12 \div 5 = 2 \quad \text{remainder } 2
\]
This tells us that
\[
\frac{12}{5} = 2 \frac{2}{5}
\]

Thus, the length of ribbon remaining after cutting is:
\[
\boxed{2 \frac{2}{5}} \text{ inches}
\]