3. Skylar read a book for \( 2 \frac{1}{4} \) hours and then spoke on the phone for \( 1 \frac{1}{2} \) hours How much time did Skylar spend reading and ralking on the phone? \( \begin{array}{ll}\text { A. } 3 \frac{1}{3} \text { hours } & \text { C. } \frac{41}{4} \text { hours } \\ \text { B. } 3 \frac{3}{4} \text { hours } & \text { D. } 4 \frac{3}{4} \text { hours }\end{array} \)

To find out how much time Skylar spent reading and talking on the phone, start by converting the mixed numbers into improper fractions: Skylar read for \( 2 \frac{1}{4} \) hours, which converts to \( \frac{9}{4} \) hours (since \( 2 \times 4 + 1 = 9 \)). Skylar talked on the phone for \( 1 \frac{1}{2} \) hours, which converts to \( \frac{3}{2} \) hours (since \( 1 \times 2 + 1 = 3 \)). Next, to add these, convert \( \frac{3}{2} \) to an equivalent fraction of \( \frac{6}{4} \) (by multiplying numerator and denominator by 2). Now, you can add the fractions: \[ \frac{9}{4} + \frac{6}{4} = \frac{15}{4} \] Converted back to a mixed number, \( \frac{15}{4} = 3 \frac{3}{4} \) hours. So, the answer is B. \( 3 \frac{3}{4} \) hours.