How many more centimeters of rain fell this month?

Question

Jerome's rain gauge showed 13 9/10 cm at the end of last month. At the end of this month, the rain gauge showed 15 3/10 cm. How many more cm. of rain fell this month? EXPLAIN!

Answer 1

Basically you are looking at subtraction of mixed numbers in this problem. 

 

This month the mixed number was 15 3/10cm, last month it was 13 9/10cm.

 

You would subtract 15 3/10 - 13 9/10 to solve.

 

It is challenging to do as mixed number, so it is easier to convert both to improper fractions first.

 

15 3/10 as an inproper fraction you would do 10 x 15 = 150 + 3 = 153 and then put that over the original denominator, so your new fraction would be 153/10.

 

13 9/10 you would do the same thing.  13 x 10 = 130 + 9 = 139.  Over the original denominator, you would get 139/10.

 

153/10 -139/10 = 14/10, to convert this back to the mixed number, you would divide 10 into 14 and you would get 1 whole and 4 left over, so your new mixed number would be 1 4/10.

 

Hope that helps!