Question

Jeanie has a 3/4 yard piece of ribbon. She needs one 3/8 yard piece and one 1/2 yard piece. Can she cut the piece of ribbon into the two smaller pieces? Why?

Answer 1

No, it's too short.

Explanation:

`1/2 = 4/8`

So she needs

`3/8 + 4/8 = 7/8`

The length she has `= 3/4 = 6/8`

i.e. too short