Two snakes

A pet store owner had 2 snakes. One was 1 3/4 ft long, and the other was 1 5/8 ft long. How long would the line be if the snakes were placed end to end?

Correct answer:

x =  3 ³⁄₈ = 27/8 ft

Step-by-step explanation:

$$\begin{gathered} a=1\frac{3}{4}=1+\frac{3}{4}=\frac{1\cdot 4+3}{4}=\frac{4+3}{4}=\frac{7}{4}=1.75\text{ft} \\ b=1\frac{5}{8}=1+\frac{5}{8}=\frac{1\cdot 8+5}{8}=\frac{8+5}{8}=\frac{13}{8}=1.625\text{ft} \\ x=a+b=\frac{7}{4}+\frac{13}{8}=\frac{14}{8}+\frac{13}{8}=\frac{14+13}{8}=\frac{27}{8}=\frac{27}{8}\text{ft}=3\frac{3}{8}\text{ft}=3.375\text{ft} \end{gathered}$$

Try another example