Why is it necessary to rename 4 1/4 if you subtract 3/4 from it
Can you subtract 3 from 1?
well because it is awkward to subtract 3/4 from 1/4
You could do it and work with the negative fraction but it is easier to say:
4 1/4 = 3 5/4
then it is easy
For Ms.Sue: no
Just kidding yes you can :-))))
4 1/4 - 3/4
the easy way is
3 5/4 - 3/4 = 3 2/4 = 3 1/2
however if your were into making live hard for yourself you could
4 1/4 - 3/4 = 4-2/4 = 4 -1/2 = 3 1/2
When subtracting fractions, it is important to have a common denominator so that we can perform the subtraction accurately. Let's break down the steps to subtract 3/4 from 4 1/4:
Step 1: Rename the whole number portion as a fraction
4 can be written as 4/1, which means 4 whole units out of 1.
Step 2: Find a common denominator
The common denominator can be determined by finding the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators involved. In this case, the denominators are 1 and 4. The LCM of 1 and 4 is 4.
Step 3: Rewrite the fraction components with the common denominator
To make both fractions have a denominator of 4, we need to multiply both the numerator and denominator of both fractions by the appropriate factor:
4/1 remains 4/1.
1/4 becomes (1 * 4)/(4 * 1) = 4/4.
Now we have:
4 1/4 = 4/1 + 1/4 (after renaming)
= (4 * 4 + 1)/(1 * 4)
= 17/4
Step 4: Perform the subtraction
Subtracting 3/4 from 17/4:
17/4 - 3/4 = (17 - 3)/4
= 14/4
Step 5: Simplify the result, if necessary
14/4 can be simplified to its lowest terms by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD). In this case, the GCD of 14 and 4 is 2:
(14 ÷ 2)/(4 ÷ 2) = 7/2
Therefore, 4 1/4 minus 3/4 equals 7/2 or 3 1/2.