Answer
$\frac{5}{24}a$
Work Step by Step
We first apply the distributive property. Then, we simplify the resultant expression:
$\frac{1}{3}a-\frac{1}{8}a$
=$a(\frac{1}{3}-\frac{1}{8})$
=$a(\frac{1(8)-1(3)}{24})$
=$a(\frac{8-3}{24})$
=$a(\frac{5}{24})$
=$\frac{5}{24}a$
