What is 4 and one third minus one and five sixths?

Answer 1

2 1/2 or 2.5 as a decimal.

A couple of ways to approach this: convert everything to improper fractions and find a common denominator, then subtract then convert to mixed number and simplify if applicable.

4 1/3 = 13/3 = 26/6

1 5/6 = 11/6.

26/6 - 11/6 = 15/6 = 5/2 = 2 1/2.

Another way: subtract the fractions (borrow if necessary) and subtract the whole numbers. You still have to get a common denominator, though.

4 1/3 = 4 2/6. Subtract 1 5/6 from that. To subtract 5/6 from 2/6, you need to 'borrow' 6/6 from the 4, so it's 3 8/6.

Now 8/6 - 5/6 = 3/6 = 1/2 and 3 - 1 = 2, so it's 2 + 1/2 = 2 1/2.

While it took more words to explain the second method, it could prove to be handier than converting everything to improper fractions.

Here's another, a little less orthodox way: Rewrite 1 5/6 as (2 - 1/6).

Then you have (4 + 1/3) - (2 - 1/6) = 4 + 1/3 - 2 + 1/6 = (4-2) + (1/3 + 1/6) = 2 + (2/6 + 1/6) = 2 3/6 = 2 1/2.

It may look a little convoluted, but no borrowing this time (actually you kind of did when rewriting the 1 5/6).