Calculate the following and express the answer as a mixed number in its lowest terms.
7&2/5-3&1/2=
To subtract mixed numbers, start by subtracting the whole numbers, then subtract the fractions separately.
7&2/5 - 3&1/2
Start by subtracting the whole numbers:
7 - 3 = 4
Next, subtract the fractions:
2/5 - 1/2
To subtract fractions with different denominators, you need to find a common denominator. In this case, the least common multiple of 5 and 2 is 10.
Converting 2/5 into an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 10:
(2/5) * (2/2) = 4/10
Now we can subtract the fractions:
4/10 - 1/2 = 4/10 - 5/10 = -1/10
So overall, the answer is 4 - 1/10 or 4&-1/10. However, this answer can be simplified further since -1/10 is equivalent to -1 + 10/10 or -1 + 1 which is 0. Therefore, the final simplified answer is just 4.