Fraction Addition

Felice went on a diet. At the beginning of the diet, she weighed [tex]131 \frac{3}{4}[/tex] pounds. Two months later, she weighed [tex]115 \frac{5}{8}[/tex] pounds. During the following month, she lost another [tex]5 \frac{2}{3}[/tex] pounds. How much weight did Felice lose in all?



Answer :

Certainly! Let's break down the problem step by step to determine how much weight Felice lost in total.

1. Initial Weight:
Felice's initial weight is given as [tex]\( 131 \frac{3}{4} \)[/tex] pounds.
We can convert this mixed number to an improper fraction:
[tex]\[ 131 \frac{3}{4} = 131 + \frac{3}{4} = 131.75 \text{ pounds} \][/tex]

2. Weight After Two Months:
After two months, Felice's weight is [tex]\( 115 \frac{5}{8} \)[/tex] pounds.
Again, convert the mixed number to an improper fraction:
[tex]\[ 115 \frac{5}{8} = 115 + \frac{5}{8} = 115.625 \text{ pounds} \][/tex]

3. Weight Lost in the First Two Months:
To find the weight lost in the first two months, we subtract the weight after two months from the initial weight:
[tex]\[ \text{Weight Lost in Two Months} = 131.75 - 115.625 = 16.125 \text{ pounds} \][/tex]

4. Additional Weight Lost in the Following Month:
During the following month, Felice lost another [tex]\( 5 \frac{2}{3} \)[/tex] pounds.
Convert this mixed number to an improper fraction:
[tex]\[ 5 \frac{2}{3} = 5 + \frac{2}{3} = 5.66667 \text{ pounds} \][/tex]

5. Total Weight Lost:
To determine the total weight lost, we add the weight lost in the first two months to the additional weight lost in the following month:
[tex]\[ \text{Total Weight Lost} = 16.125 + 5.66667 = 21.79167 \text{ pounds} \][/tex]

Thus, Felice lost a total of approximately [tex]\( 21.79167 \)[/tex] pounds.