How much is 3/8 less than 48?

Question

How much is 3/8 less than 48?

Answer 1

= 48 - 3/8(48)

= 48 - 144/8

= 48 - ([144/8]/[8/8])

= 48 - 18

= 30

Answer: 30

Another way:

= 48(1 - 3/8)

= 48(8/8 - 3/8)

= 48(5/8)

= (48/8)(5/[8/8])

= 6(5)

= 30

Answer 2

47 5/8

Answer 3

3/8 less than 48 means:

48 - (3/8) = ?

[In words, it means forty-eight minus three-eighths.]

To add or subtract fractions and/or whole numbers, you need a "common denominator". The bottom number must be the same for both numbers. Then you just do the computation for the top numbers.

Ex: (1/2) + (3/2) = ?

Since you know that both fractions have a bottom number of (2), then you just add the top numbers: 1 + 3 = 4, then put this over the bottom number (2).

4/2 = 2. 2 is the answer.

If you have a case where the numbers aren't the same, you have to change the bottom numbers.

1/2 + 1/4 = ?

2 and 4 (the bottom numbers) are not the same. So you have to make 2 into 4 for the first fraction. Do so by multiplying the bottom and the top number in the fraction by 2.

(1/2)x(2/2) = 2/4 [Notice that 2/4 is the same as 1/2, so nothing is really changing]

2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4. That is the answer.

With whole numbers, there is an imaginary 1 under the number.

1 is really 1/1.

2 is really 2/1.

etc etc

So in your case, 48 is 48/1.

You want (48/1) - (3/8)

So change 48/1 in Something over 8.

Multiply top and bottom by 8.

You get 384/8

384/8 - 3/8

So just compute this to: 381/8. Then divide and the remainder is put over 8 and you have a mixed number fraction:

381 divided by 8 equals:47 remainder 5

47 and 5/8 is your answer.

Of course, this is quite a long route, but this is generally the way I usually do this even if it is long. You do need to learn common denominators ans such later on however, so it's good to leanr this now either way.

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Some answers above are quite different. My answer is based on the assumption that you are just subtracting

three-eighths from forty-eight.

Others assume that you are taking three-eighths of forty-eight from forty-eight (Meaning you're left with five-eighths).

In that event, simply multiply 48 by (1 - (3/8)) [Think of taking 3/8 away from 1. You still have 5/8 left. This is the same thing - you're taking 3/8 of 48 from 48 and you have 5/8 of 48 left]

So: 48 x (5/8) = (48x5)/8 = 30