A plant has grown 1 1/2 inches in the last year and is now 8 1/3 inches tall. How tall was it a year ago?

To determine the plant's height a year ago, you would subtract the growth from its current height. The plant grew 1 1/2 inches, so you would subtract that from its current height of 8 1/3 inches. To subtract mixed numbers, you need to convert them to improper fractions. The plant was 6 5/6 inches tall a year ago.