Find a common denominator: The least common denominator for 4 and 2 is 4.
Rewrite the fractions: 2 1 = 4 2 .
Subtract the fractions: 4 3 − 4 2 = 4 1 .
The final answer is 4 1 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are asked to subtract two fractions: 4 3 and 2 1 . The stated result of the subtraction is 1, which needs to be verified or corrected.
Finding a Common Denominator To subtract fractions, we need to have a common denominator. The least common denominator for 4 and 2 is 4.
Rewriting the Fractions We rewrite 2 1 as an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 4: 2 1 = 2 × 2 1 × 2 = 4 2 .
Subtracting the Fractions Now we can subtract the two fractions: 4 3 − 4 2 = 4 3 − 2 = 4 1 .
Final Answer The result of the subtraction is 4 1 , which is not equal to 1. Therefore, the initial statement is incorrect.
Examples
Fractions are used in everyday life, such as when baking, measuring ingredients, or splitting a bill with friends. Understanding how to subtract fractions is essential for accurate calculations in these scenarios. For example, if you have 4 3 of a pizza and you eat 2 1 of the pizza, you need to subtract 2 1 from 4 3 to determine how much pizza is left.