Question

Nate's classroom has three tables of different lengths. One has a length of 4 1/2 feet, another has a length of 4 feet, and a third has a length of 2 1/2 feet. What is the length of all three tables when pushed end to end?

Answer 1

12 feet.
4 1/2= 4.5
4 1/2+ 4= 9.5 + 2.5 = 12

Answer 2

`11\ ft`

Explanation:

we have

`4(1)/(2)\ ft`

`4\ ft`

`2(1)/(2)\ ft`

we know that

The length of all three tables when pushed end to end is the sum of the three lengths

Convert mixed number to an improper fraction

`4(1)/(2)\ ft=(4*2+1)/(2)=(9)/(2)\ ft`

`2(1)/(2)\ ft=(2*2+1)/(2)=(5)/(2)\ ft`

therefore

`(9)/(2)\ ft+4\ ft+(5)/(2)\ ft`

Rewrite
`4\ ft` as
`(8)/(2)\ ft`

so

`(9)/(2)\ ft+(8)/(2)\ ft+(5)/(2)\ ft=(22)/(2)\ ft=11\ ft`