A farmer placed an order for 12 1/4 tons of fertilizer. He calculates that the corn fields will require 1 2/3 tons of it. How much fertilizer will the farmer have left for his other crops?
Write your answer as a fraction or as a whole or mixed number.
tons
To find the amount of fertilizer the farmer will have left, we need to subtract the amount used for the corn fields (1 2/3 tons) from the total amount ordered (12 1/4 tons).
First, convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions:
1 2/3 tons = 5/3 tons
12 1/4 tons = 49/4 tons
Now, subtract the fractions:
49/4 - 5/3 = (49*3 - 5*4)/(4*3) = (147-20)/12 = 127/12 tons
The farmer will have 127/12 tons of fertilizer left for his other crops.