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.