Solve Mixed Number Subtraction: 4½ - 2½

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Solve

00:03 First, let's break down each mixed fraction into its whole number and fraction

00:19 Subtract

00:25 Use the commutative property and arrange the exercise in a convenient way to solve

00:34 Calculate the difference between the whole numbers

00:40 Subtract with common denominator

00:43 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve the problem $4\frac{1}{2} - 2\frac{1}{2}$ , we need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify the components of each mixed number.
$4\frac{1}{2}$ consists of a whole number $4$ and a fraction $\frac{1}{2}$ .
$2\frac{1}{2}$ consists of a whole number $2$ and a fraction $\frac{1}{2}$ .
Step 2: Subtract the whole numbers.
Subtract the whole number of the second from the first: $4 - 2 = 2$ .
Step 3: Subtract the fractions.
Since both fractions are $\frac{1}{2}$ , subtract them: $\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{2} = 0$ .
Step 4: Combine the results.
The result from the whole numbers is $2$ , and the result from the fractions is $0$ . So, $2 + 0 = 2$ .

Therefore, the answer to the problem $4\frac{1}{2} - 2\frac{1}{2}$ is $2$ .