In the morning, Mary walked 2 1/4 miles around the park. In the afternoon, she walked another 5 7/8 miles. How many miles did she walk total?
To solve this problem, we need to add the two distances Mary walked: 2 1/4 miles + 5 7/8 miles.
First, we can convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions:
2 1/4 miles = 9/4 miles
5 7/8 miles = 47/8 miles
Next, we add the two fractions: 9/4 miles + 47/8 miles.
To add fractions, they need a common denominator. The least common multiple of 4 and 8 is 8, so we can rewrite both fractions with a denominator of 8:
9/4 miles = (9/4) * (2/2) = 18/8 miles
47/8 miles
Now we can add the fractions: (18/8 miles) + (47/8 miles) = 65/8 miles.
The total distance Mary walked is 65/8 miles.