What is 3 8/9 - 1 5/8
To subtract mixed numbers, we first need to convert them to improper fractions.
3 8/9 can be written as (3 x 9 + 8)/9 = 35/9
1 5/8 can be written as (1 x 8 + 5)/8 = 13/8
Now, we can subtract:
35/9 - 13/8
We need to find a common denominator. The smallest multiple of 9 and 8 is 72.
35/9 x 8/8 = 280/72
13/8 x 9/9 = 117/72
Now we can subtract:
280/72 - 117/72 = 163/72
This is an improper fraction, so we can convert it back to a mixed number:
163/72 = 2 19/72
Therefore, 3 8/9 - 1 5/8 = 2 19/72.