2. What is the smallest possible length of screw needed to pass through two pieces of wood, one that is \( \frac{7}{8} \) inch thick and one that is \( \frac{1}{4} \) inch thick?

To find the smallest possible length of screw needed to pass through two pieces of wood, we need to add the thickness of both pieces of wood. Given: - Thickness of the first piece of wood: \( \frac{7}{8} \) inch - Thickness of the second piece of wood: \( \frac{1}{4} \) inch The smallest possible length of screw needed is the sum of the thickness of both pieces of wood. Let's calculate the sum of the thickness of both pieces of wood: \[ \text{Smallest possible length of screw} = \frac{7}{8} + \frac{1}{4} \] Now, let's calculate the sum: Calculate the value by following steps: - step0: Calculate: \(\frac{7}{8}+\frac{1}{4}\) - step1: Reduce fractions to a common denominator: \(\frac{7}{8}+\frac{2}{4\times 2}\) - step2: Multiply the numbers: \(\frac{7}{8}+\frac{2}{8}\) - step3: Transform the expression: \(\frac{7+2}{8}\) - step4: Add the numbers: \(\frac{9}{8}\) The smallest possible length of screw needed to pass through two pieces of wood, one that is \( \frac{7}{8} \) inch thick and one that is \( \frac{1}{4} \) inch thick, is \( 1\frac{1}{8} \) inches or 1.125 inches.