If you have a dollar, you can always cash it in for four quarters - it is an even exchange. This can be represented mathematically as $1\,=\,\frac{4}{4}$.

Similarly, if you have 3 dollars, you can cash in one of those dollars for four quarters, leaving you with two dollars and four quarters - the same amount of money as \$3. This can be represented mathematically as $3\,=\,2\frac{4}{4}$.

We are going to use this idea of exchanging a whole number for an equivalent amount of fractions to learn how to subtract fractions from a whole number.

Example 1: $4\,-\,1\frac{2}{5}\,=$

Example 2: $6\,-\,4\frac{5}{8}\,=$

For more practice with fractions, please try this Fraction Calculator.

Self-Check