Q&A for How to Subtract Mixed Numbers

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How do I subtract 2 3/4 - 11/12?

Donagan

Top Answerer

First change 2 3/4 to 2 9/12. Then change that to 33/12. Then subtract 11/12. That gives us 22/12. Change that to 1 10/12, and reduce to 1 5/6.

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Question

How do I solve this using the second method (subtract the whole numbers first): 4 3/7 - 2 4/7?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Because the fraction in the subtrahend (the second mixed number) is larger than the fraction in the minuend (the first mixed number), you must "borrow" from the whole number in the minuend. Borrow 1 from the 4 in the minuend, but borrow it in the form of 7/7, and combine it with the minuend's fraction, making that mixed number 3 10/7 (which has the same value as 4 3/7). Now you can use the second method in the above article: first subtract the second whole number from the new first whole number: 3 - 2 = 1, which is the answer's whole number. Now subtract the second fraction from the new first fraction: 10/7 - 4/7 = 6/7. The final answer is 1 6/7.

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Question

How do I subtract 2 1/2 minus 5/12 minus 7/8?

Donagan

Top Answerer

First convert all three numbers to fractions with 24 as the denominator (because 24 is the lowest common multiple of 2, 12, and 8). 2½ = 60/24. 5/12 = 10/24. 7/8 = 21/24. Now perform the subtractions: 60/24 - 10/24 - 21/24 = 29/24 = 1 5/24.

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Question

How do I subtract 5 1/3 - 3 2/3?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Convert 5 1/3 to 16/3. Convert 3 2/3 to 11/3. 16/3 - 11/3 = 5/3 = 1 2/3.

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What is the difference between 3/6 and 2/5?

Donagan

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3/6 equals 1/2. 1/2 - 2/5 = 5/10 - 4/10 = 1/10.

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How do I work out 7 13/20 - 6 1/5?

Donagan

Top Answerer

First convert 1/5 to 4/20. Then subtract 7 - 6 = 1, and subtract 13/20 - 4/20 = 9/20. Thus, the answer is 1 9/20.

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Question

I need to solve this subtraction: 31/2 - 21/4. How can I solve it?

kristine joy

Community Answer

First convert 3 1/2 to 2 1/4. Then subtract 3 - 2 = 1 , and the final answer is 1 1/4.

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How do I work out 1 1/9 - 2 3/9 ?

Community Answer

It is impossible because 2 and 3 is more than 1. Unless you want to go negative, it is impossible.

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Subtract 5 3/10 _ 2 1/2

Community Answer

5 3/10 - 2 1/2 = 5 3/10 - 2 5/10 = 53/10 - 25/10 = 28/10 = 2 8/10 = 2 4/5.

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Subtract 7/10 from 7 and a half.

Community Answer

7 1/2 - 7/10 = 7 5/10 - 7/10 = 75/10 - 7/10 = 68/10 = 6 8/10 = 6 4/5.

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What do you do when subtracting a negative mixed number?

I_l1ke_gam3s

Community Answer

Subtracting any negative number is the same as adding the positive version of that same number. For example, (3½) - (-1¼) = (3½) + (+1¼) = 4¾.

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