Certainly! Let's solve this word problem step-by-step:
1. Understand the problem:
- You have [tex]\( \frac{1}{4} \)[/tex] cup of oatmeal in your cupboard.
- The recipe for cookies requires [tex]\( \frac{1}{6} \)[/tex] cup of oatmeal.
- We need to find out how much oatmeal will be left after making the cookies.
2. Set up the subtraction:
- We need to subtract [tex]\( \frac{1}{6} \)[/tex] cup from [tex]\( \frac{1}{4} \)[/tex] cup:
[tex]\[
\frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{6}
\][/tex]
3. Find a common denominator:
- The denominators are 4 and 6. The least common denominator (LCD) of 4 and 6 is 12.
4. Convert the fractions to have the common denominator:
- Convert [tex]\( \frac{1}{4} \)[/tex] to an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 12:
[tex]\[
\frac{1}{4} = \frac{1 \times 3}{4 \times 3} = \frac{3}{12}
\][/tex]
- Convert [tex]\( \frac{1}{6} \)[/tex] to an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 12:
[tex]\[
\frac{1}{6} = \frac{1 \times 2}{6 \times 2} = \frac{2}{12}
\][/tex]
5. Subtract the fractions:
- Now that the fractions have the same denominator, subtract the numerators:
[tex]\[
\frac{3}{12} - \frac{2}{12} = \frac{3 - 2}{12} = \frac{1}{12}
\][/tex]
6. Write the answer:
- The amount of oatmeal left is [tex]\( \frac{1}{12} \)[/tex] cup.
So, after using [tex]\( \frac{1}{6} \)[/tex] cup of oatmeal from the [tex]\( \frac{1}{4} \)[/tex] cup you had, you would have [tex]\( \frac{1}{12} \)[/tex] cup of oatmeal left.
Answer:
[tex]\[
\frac{1}{12}
\][/tex]
