antennense

Answered

2022-07-07

Subtracting or Multiplying Fractions $\frac{3}{4}-\frac{1}{2}$
This is the given scenario to help visualize the problem at hand. A bird feeder is filled with $\frac{3}{4}$ of a full bag of seeds. The birds ate $\frac{1}{2}$ of what was in the bird feeder. What fraction of a full bag of bird seed is left in the bird feeder?
The previous scenario involved the same numbers but it asked what fraction of a full bag of bird seed were eaten. I was able to concluded that $\frac{3}{8}$ of the full bag of seeds was eaten. You are not able to use the formula: $\frac{3}{4}-\frac{1}{2}$ on this scenario because you are taking fractions of each other, not just the whole bag of seeds.
Does that justification sound correct? With that justification, how could I solve the question that is asking for the fraction of a full bag of bird seed left in the feeder? Could I use $\frac{3}{4}-\frac{1}{2}$ to answer that? I know that $\frac{3}{4}-\frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{4}$ but that is not seeming like a correct answer to the scenario. Please help me, I don't completely understand this.

Answer & Explanation

SweallySnicles3

Expert

2022-07-08Added 21 answers

Well the important thing, when dealing with fractions of stuff, is not just the fraction itself but what the fraction is of. $\frac{1}{2}$ of the distance to your closest library is far less than $\frac{1}{2}$ of the distance to the moon (I hope).
In this assignment, you've got $\frac{3}{4}$ of a bag of seeds on the feeder, and half of that is eaten. That means the birds eat $\frac{1}{2}$ (a half $=0.5=50$%) of what's in the feeder, not $\frac{1}{2}$ of the whole bag, hence $\frac{3}{4}×\frac{1}{2}=\frac{3}{8}$. Simple subtraction won't give the correct result because the two fractions are of different things: $\frac{1}{2}$ is a fraction of the seeds on the feeder while $\frac{3}{4}$ is a fraction of the entire bag of seeds.

Do you have a similar question?

Recalculate according to your conditions!

Ask your question.
Get your answer.

Let our experts help you. Answer in as fast as 15 minutes.

Didn't find what you were looking for?