What is the sum of 3 1/3 + 8 1/2?

To find the sum of (3 \frac{1}{3}) and (8 \frac{1}{2}), it's helpful to convert these mixed numbers into improper fractions.

First, convert (3 \frac{1}{3}): [

3 \frac{1}{3} = \left(3 \times 3 + 1\right)/3 = \frac{10}{3} ]

Next, convert (8 \frac{1}{2}): [ 8 \frac{1}{2} = \left(8 \times 2 + 1\right)/2 = \frac{17}{2} ]

Now, we need to find a common denominator to add these two fractions. The least common multiple of 3 and 2 is 6. We will convert both fractions to have a denominator of 6.

Convert (\frac{10}{3}) to sixths: [ \frac{10}{3} = \frac{10 \times 2}{3 \times 2} = \frac{20}{6} ]

Convert (\frac{17}{2}) to sixths: [ \frac{17}{2} =