Example of subtracting fractions with unlike denominators word problem | Pre-Algebra | Khan Academy

TL;DR

Silvia measures the heights of different types of tomato plants and calculates the difference between the heights of beefsteak and Roma tomato plants.

Transcript

Silvia is growing tomato plants and studying their heights. Here is her data. So the beefsteak tomato type had a height of 3 and 1/4 feet, Roma 2 and 7/8 feet, cherry 3 and 1/2 feet. And they ask us, what is the difference between the heights of the beefsteak, so that's that one right over there, and the Roma tomato plants? So they want us to find ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌱 Silvia collected data on tomato plant heights.
• 🌱 The analysis focused on the difference between beefsteak and Roma tomato plant heights.
• 🎭 Conversion of mixed numbers to improper fractions was necessary to perform the calculation.
• 👻 Finding the least common multiple allowed for subtraction of fractions with different denominators.
• 🦶 The final result indicated a difference of 3/8 of a foot between the two types of tomato plants.
• 🤗 The cherry tomato height was irrelevant to the problem at hand.

Questions & Answers

Q: What types of tomato plants did Silvia study?

Silvia studied beefsteak, Roma, and cherry tomato plants and collected data on their heights.

Q: What was the purpose of measuring the tomato plant heights?

Silvia was studying the growth of tomato plants and wanted to analyze the difference in heights between different types of tomato plants.

Q: How did Silvia calculate the difference between beefsteak and Roma tomato plant heights?

Silvia converted the mixed numbers representing the heights into improper fractions, found the least common multiple of the denominators, and subtracted the heights to obtain the difference.

Q: What was the final result of the height difference calculation?

The difference between the heights of beefsteak and Roma tomato plants was calculated to be 3/8 of a foot.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Silvia collects data on the heights of beefsteak, Roma, and cherry tomato plants.

• The question asks for the difference between the heights of beefsteak and Roma tomato plants.

• Silvia converts the mixed numbers representing the heights into improper fractions, finds the least common multiple of the denominators, and calculates the difference to be 3/8 of a foot.