Converting Mixed Numbers to Improper Fractions: 4 1/2 - 3 3/5 as a Fraction
In mathematics, mixed numbers are a combination of a whole number and a fraction. To perform arithmetic operations on mixed numbers, it's often necessary to convert them to improper fractions. In this article, we'll explore how to convert the mixed number 4 1/2 to an improper fraction and then subtract 3 3/5 as a fraction.
Converting 4 1/2 to an Improper Fraction
To convert a mixed number to an improper fraction, we need to multiply the whole number part (4) by the denominator (2) and then add the numerator (1). This gives us:
4 × 2 = 8 8 + 1 = 9
So, the improper fraction equivalent to 4 1/2 is:
9/2
Converting 3 3/5 to an Improper Fraction
Using the same method, we can convert 3 3/5 to an improper fraction:
3 × 5 = 15 15 + 3 = 18
So, the improper fraction equivalent to 3 3/5 is:
18/5
Subtracting the Fractions
Now that we have both mixed numbers converted to improper fractions, we can subtract them:
9/2 - 18/5
To subtract these fractions, we need to find a common denominator. The least common multiple (LCM) of 2 and 5 is 10. So, we can convert both fractions to have a denominator of 10:
9/2 = 45/10 18/5 = 36/10
Now we can subtract:
45/10 - 36/10 = 9/10
Therefore, the result of subtracting 3 3/5 from 4 1/2 as a fraction is:
9/10
In conclusion, we have successfully converted the mixed numbers 4 1/2 and 3 3/5 to improper fractions and performed the subtraction operation to get the result 9/10.
