John was building a new fence, and he wants it to stand \(8\frac{1}{2}\) feet above ground level. To make sure it is secure he must place it \(2\frac{3}{4}\)feet into the ground. How long of a post should John buy?
Explanation
To do this, you may add the 8 2 to get 10 feet and then add the fractions.
To add the fractions, you must convert them to a common denominator which would be 4 in this case. Therefore,
2/4 + 3/4 = 5/4 = \(\frac{2}{4} + \frac{3}{4}= \frac{5}{4}=1\frac{1}{4}\)
Then add the \(1\frac{1}{4}\) to the 10 and you have \(11\frac{1}{4}\).