A patient/client in a nursing home is weighed weekly. Her initial weight on admission was 174 ½ pounds. After three weeks, she weighed 156 ¼ pounds. How many pounds did the patient/client lose in three weeks? Subtract the mixed numbers after determining the least common denominator (LCD).
A) 12 ½
B) 14 ¾
C) 16 ½
D) 18 ¼

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Subtract the patient/client's current weight (156 ¼) from her initial weight (174 ½). To subtract mixed numbers, one method is to find the least common denominator (LCD) for ½ and ¼ and leave the fractions as mixed numbers. For 2 and 4, the LCD = 4. Rewrite each fraction using the LCD; divide the LCD by the denominator of each fraction and then multiply that result by the numerator of the fraction. After conversion of the fractions (174 2/4 -156 ¼ ), the numerators of the fractions are subtracted and the whole numbers are subtracted = 18 ¼ .

A Patient/client in a Nursing Home Is Weighed Weekly