IXL | Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators: word problems

Professor Baldwin weighed two pieces of metal for an experiment. The piece of iron weighed 7/8 of a pound and the piece of aluminum weighed 1/2 of a pound. How much more did the piece of iron weigh than the piece of aluminum?

Simplify your answer and write it as a fraction or as a whole or mixed number.

pounds

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Learn with an example

question

Kimi's milkshake recipe calls for 1/2 of a scoop of ice cream and Melissa's recipe calls for 1/4 of a scoop. How many more scoops of ice cream are used in Kimi's recipe than in Melissa's recipe?

Simplify your answer and write it as a fraction or as a whole or mixed number.

scoops

solution

Find how much more ice cream is used in Kimi's recipe by subtracting 1/4 from 1/2.

You can use 4 as the common denominator.

Multiply the numerator and the denominator of

by 2 to find an equivalent fraction.

1 × 2

2 × 2

Now subtract the fractions. Subtract the numerators and keep the denominators the same.

−

is written in simplest form.

Kimi's recipe calls for 1/4 of a scoop more ice cream than Melissa's recipe.

Looking for more? Try these:

Lesson: Adding fractions with unlike denominators

Lesson: Subtracting fractions with unlike denominators

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Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators

T.4Add and subtract fractions with like denominators: word problems

Lesson: Adding fractions with unlike denominators

Lesson: Subtracting fractions with unlike denominators

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