Question

2/8 of a pole is above water level in a river. How much the pole is in water and the ground if the total height is 48 feet.
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Answer 1

Answer:

It is a problem of common denominators. 1/2 is sunk in to the ground. 1/3 is underwater. We need a common denominator for these fractions. By taking the two denominators 2 and 3 and multiplying them together we get 6. So, representing the fractions again in terms of sixths, we have 3/6 (half) stuck in the ground and 2/6 (a third) underwater. That means that the remaining length is 1/6 (because 6/6 minus 2/6 minus 3/6 equals 1/6). Also, the remaining length is 8ft. So… a sixth of the total length is 8ft. Which means that 6/6 of the length is six times that long… Or 48ft. The total length is 48ft.