What is the value of a whole number minus a fraction like 1 minus 5 over 12?

The way to figure this out is to convert the whole number into a fraction with the same denominator as the fraction being subtracted. Let's do this one. 1 - (5/12) = (12/12) - (5/12) = At this point, you have 12 over 12 minus 5 over 12, and to work a fraction like that where you have a common denominator, you can take the numerators and subtract them and put the result over 12. It will look like this: (12 - 5) / 12 = 7/12 That 7/12 is your answer. You don't even have to reduce it.