From: Stuart

I have 54 1/4 yards of material. i need to cut as many pieces as possible out of it that are 3 1/12 long. how many pieces
will you get and how much is left over?
I know the answer is 17 with 1 5/6 left over but when I change the numbers to improper fractions and divide the answer comes out to 17 22/37.

Thank you for your time

Hi Stuart.

Let's first check the arithmetic:

So your calculation is correct. Now let's think about the interpretation of this calculation.

You can make 17 pieces and ²² /₃₇ of a piece.

So how long is ²² /₃₇ of a piece that is 3 ¹ /₁₂ long?

Hope this helps!
Stephen La Rocque.