1. The problem is to understand how $\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{16}$ becomes $\frac{8}{16} - \frac{1}{16}$. 2. To subtract fractions, they must have the same denominator (bottom number). 3. The denominator of $\frac{1}{2}$ is 2, and the denominator of $\frac{1}{16}$ is 16. 4. Find a common denominator, which is the least common multiple of 2 and 16. Here, it is 16. 5. Convert $\frac{1}{2}$ to an equivalent fraction with denominator 16 by multiplying numerator and denominator by 8: $$\frac{1}{2} = \frac{1 \times 8}{2 \times 8} = \frac{8}{16}$$ 6. Now the subtraction is: $$\frac{8}{16} - \frac{1}{16}$$ 7. Since denominators are the same, subtract numerators: $$\frac{8 - 1}{16} = \frac{7}{16}$$ 8. So, $\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{16} = \frac{7}{16}$. This shows how $\frac{1}{2}$ becomes $\frac{8}{16}$ to perform the subtraction with a common denominator.