First, convert these two mixed fractions into improper fractions.
You can do that by following these steps:
Multiply the outside number by the number in the denominator
Add the product to the number in the numerator
5[tex]\frac{1}{4}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{21}{4}[/tex]
3[tex]\frac{7}{8}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{31}{8}[/tex]
Now, convert these fractions so that they share the same denominator. 4 and 8 share the same factor of 8. Multiply the numerator and denominator of [tex]\frac{21}{4}[/tex] by 2 so that the denominator becomes 8.
[tex]\frac{21}{4}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{42}{8}[/tex]
Now find how many inches of string each person has by using multiplication:
Sophie has [tex]\frac{42}{8}[/tex] × 5 = [tex]\frac{210}{8}[/tex] inches total
Cooper has [tex]\frac{31}{8}[/tex] × 4 = [tex]\frac{124}{8}[/tex] inches total
To find how much more inches Sophie has, subtract the two fraction from each other:
[tex]\frac{210}{8} - \frac{124}{8}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{86}{8}[/tex]
Simplify the fraction:
Sophie has 10[tex]\frac{6}{8}[/tex] or 10[tex]\frac{3}{4}[/tex] more inches than Cooper