Julio caught 3 fish weighing a total of 23 1/2 pounds. One fish weighed 9 5/8 pounds and another weighed 6 1/4 pounds. How much did the third fish weigh?

So we need to know what 23 1/2 + 9 5/8 + 6 1/4 is.

first, we need to make them into equivalent fraction.

so ...

23 1/2 can be 23 4/8

9 5/8 and

6 1/4 can be 6 2/8

let's add the whole numbers.

23 + 9 + 6 = 38

4/8 + 5/8 + 2/8 = 11/8 = 1 3/8

so 38 + 1 3/8 is 39 3/8

the answer is 39 3/8 pounds