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[RandyE]

Three switches are to be installed in a panel. The switches are each 21/2 inches wide. There will be 11/4inches clearance between switches and 37/8 inches between any switch and the edge of the box. How wide is the box?

show work please

 

[Dr.Peterson]

Three switches are to be installed in a panel. The switches are each 2 1/2 inches wide. There will be 1 1/4 inches clearance between switches and 3 7/8 inches between any switch and the edge of the box. How wide is the box?

show work please

I've corrected the lengths to what I assume they are supposed to be; spaces are needed. This will just be a little addition, helped by a sketch so you can see how many of each length are needed.

But you need to read this:

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[HallsofIvy]

So there are \(\displaystyle 3\frac{7}{8}\) inches from the left edge of the panel to the first switch which is \(\displaystyle 2\frac{1}{2}\) inches wide then \(\displaystyle 1\frac{1}{4}\) to the second switch which another \(\displaystyle 2\frac{1}{2}\) inches then another \(\displaystyle 1\frac{1}{4}\) inches to the third switch which is another \(\displaystyle 2\frac{1}{2}\) inches wide then, finally, \(\displaystyle 3\frac{7}{8}\) inches to the right edge of the panel.

Add! (The common denominator should be obvious.)

(It could be done a little quicker with a combination of multiplication and addition. There are three "\(\displaystyle 2\frac{1}{2}\)"s, two "\(\displaystyle 3\frac{7}{8}\)"s and two "\(\displaystyle 1\frac{1}{4}\)"s.)

 

[Otis]

show work please

Hi Randy. There are different ways to work with mixed numbers. In your exercise, we could add mixed numbers directly without converting to a common denominator (but we would need to convert an improper fraction into a mixed number). When adding multiples of mixed numbers, we could also convert the mixed numbers to improper fractions first (that approach would eventually require changing one fraction to match a common denominator). Yet another method for multiplying is to use the distributive property, after writing the mixed numbers in the form (Whole number + proper fraction). I've seen all three methods practiced at school.

Are you working on a school assignment? If so, what kind of class are you in? Do you already know how to add and multiply basic (proper) fractions? How about switching back and forth between improper-fraction form and mixed-number form -- have you done that before? Cheers~

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