1. Big Al has a set of non-metric wrenches that have these numbers on the end:
7/16, 1/4, 9/16, 3/8, 5/16, 1/2
Which of these wrenches fits the largest nut?
Which fits the smallest nut?
I am very confused on how to figure this out. Please help.
use a common denominator of 16, and you have
7/16, 4/16, 9/16, ...
then it will be easy
You have me very confused.
you need to read up on equivalent fractions.
If you have 1/4, and then multiply by 1, nothing is changed. 4/4=1, so
1/4 * 4/4 = 4/16
If all the fractions have a common denominator of 16, the the largest numerator will be the largest value. Think of (1/16) as a single quantity, like $, apples, or toothpicks
$5 > $4
3 apples is more than 2 apples
12 toothpicks is more than 5 toothpicks
for any unit,
m units is more than n units if m > n
So,
1/4 < 7/16 because 4/16 < 7/16 because 4 < 7
Still confused? google is your friend -- do a search on comparing fractions or something. Once it clicks, you'll see how easy it all really is.
I am still confused on this even more by how you explained it.
This site has an excellent explanation of equivalent fractions.
http://www.mathsisfun.com/equivalent_fractions.html
I will definitely review this site however I am confused on how to begin solving this particular problem and what do I need to do with all those fractions?
To determine which wrench fits the largest nut and which one fits the smallest nut, you need to compare their sizes.
The numbers on the end of the wrenches represent fractional sizes. In this case, they are fractions of an inch. The bigger the number, the larger the wrench size.
To compare fractions, you can convert them into a common denominator, which allows for easier comparison. In this case, we can convert all the fractions to a common denominator of 16.
Here's how you can do it:
1/4 = 4/16
3/8 = 6/16
5/16 = 5/16
7/16 = 7/16
9/16 = 9/16
1/2 = 8/16
Now, let's compare the sizes:
The largest nut can be fitted by the wrench with the largest fraction, which is 9/16. So, the wrench with the number 9/16 fits the largest nut.
The smallest nut can be fitted by the wrench with the smallest fraction, which is 4/16. However, 4/16 can be simplified to 1/4. So, the wrench with the number 1/4 fits the smallest nut.
To recap, the wrench with the number 9/16 fits the largest nut, while the wrench with the number 1/4 fits the smallest nut.