Solve the Fraction Subtraction: 7/8 minus 5/12

Solve the following exercise:

$\frac{7}{8}-\frac{5}{12}=\text{?}$

To solve the problem of subtracting $\frac{5}{12}$ from $\frac{7}{8}$, we follow these steps:

• Step 1: Find the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators 8 and 12. The multiples of 8 are 8, 16, 24, 32, and those of 12 are 12, 24, 36. The smallest common multiple is 24.
• Step 2: Convert each fraction to have a denominator of 24.
  For $\frac{7}{8}$:
  Multiply the numerator and the denominator by 3 to get: $\frac{7 \times 3}{8 \times 3} = \frac{21}{24}$.
  For $\frac{5}{12}$:
  Multiply the numerator and the denominator by 2 to get: $\frac{5 \times 2}{12 \times 2} = \frac{10}{24}$.
• Step 3: Subtract the fractions now that they have the same denominator:
  $\frac{21}{24} - \frac{10}{24} = \frac{21 - 10}{24} = \frac{11}{24}$.
• Step 4: Simplify the fraction if possible. In this case, $\frac{11}{24}$ is already in its simplest form.

Therefore, the result of $\frac{7}{8} - \frac{5}{12}$ is $\frac{11}{24}$.