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## BuggyBoy99 3 years ago How do you reduce a fraction?

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1. emunrradtvamg

Try a tutorial online, for example http://www.webmath.com/redfract.html and if you have a question come back and we help you for suere

2. BuggyBoy99

Thank you.

3. polpak

You cancel factors that are common to the numerator and the denominator.

4. helpme101

Please view my question

5. knowak

No, we won't.

6. BuggyBoy99

@emunrradtvamg Thank you very much I don't really have anything else but if I do I know you'll help me (If your online).

7. emunrradtvamg

Sure when I can, I try to help. That is what people are for.

8. BuggyBoy99

Cool. Thanks again.

9. BuggyBoy99

Can you help me w/ this? Add the following fractions. Be sure to find the common denominator (multiple) and then simplify

10. emunrradtvamg

Ok

11. polpak

Did you find a common denominator for them?

12. emunrradtvamg

In the first equation (3/16) the only thing to do is to carry out numerical division. So you will end up with 0.1875

13. BuggyBoy99

Ok

14. polpak

No he's got to add two fractions by finding a common denominator, then adding the numerators of the equivalent fractions. Not convert to decimal...

15. emunrradtvamg

Ok sorry. Just got what you really want. Wait. I definitively know what you want.

16. BuggyBoy99

Ok

17. polpak

Buggy, did you find a common denominator already?

18. BuggyBoy99

From what?

19. polpak

What are the denominators for the fractions you are trying to add?

20. BuggyBoy99

3\6 + 5\48

21. polpak

Those are the fractions (except it's 3/16). which part of the fraction is the denominator?

22. BuggyBoy99

Oh ok. ?

23. emunrradtvamg

Ok now Im gonna teach you how to get the common denominator.

24. polpak

$\frac{Numerator}{Denominator}$

25. BuggyBoy99

Ok.

26. polpak

The part on bottom is the denominator.

27. BuggyBoy99

Ok.

28. polpak

So now, what are the two denominators you are working with?

29. BuggyBoy99

16 and 48.

30. BuggyBoy99

Is that right?

31. polpak

Correct. Now, we are looking for common multiplies of those two numbers. So what are the multiples of 16?

32. BuggyBoy99

16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 144, 160, 176, 192, 208, 224, 240, 256, 272, 288, 304,

33. polpak

Did you figure that out? or type it in somewhere?

34. BuggyBoy99

Right?

35. polpak

Do you see any multiples of 48 in that list?

36. BuggyBoy99

Yes

37. polpak

What is the smallest multiple of 48 you see there?

38. BuggyBoy99

3?

39. emunrradtvamg

Ok the first thing you have to do is to divide the two numbers (16 and 48) in the denominator by 2. If they both are divisible by 2, then you save this number 2. Next, you have to devide the remaining of the last divison by two again. the new two numbers are 8 and 26. If both numbers are divisible by 2 again. You save this number (2) again. 16 48 * .---------- 8 26 * 2 This number is saved 4 13 * 2 This number is saved too * Of course the remaining numbers are not divisible by 2 nor 3, and so on. This means the the common denominator is 2*2 =4 Question? Remember this is the first step

40. polpak

48 is the smallest multiple that 16 and 48 have in common.

41. BuggyBoy99

Ok...

42. BuggyBoy99

So what do I do w/ the 48?

43. polpak

So 16 * 3 = 48. Now we need to make both of the fractions have that denominator. Since 5/48 already has that for the denominator we don't need to change it.

44. polpak

So you can just write 5/48 on the next column over. But to make 3/16 have a denominator of 48, we need to multiply the bottom by 3. In order to do that and keep the ratio the same, we must also multiply the top by 3.

45. BuggyBoy99

? you lost me....

46. polpak

$\frac{3}{48} * \frac{3}{3} = ?$

47. polpak

Err. $\frac{3}{16} * \frac{3}{3}$

48. polpak

We need to change the denominator of the 3/16 so it is also using our lowest common denominator.

49. polpak

We can multiply any number by 1 without changing it. Since 3/3 = 1, we can multiply our fraction by 3/3 and it will still have the same value.

50. polpak

But now it will have 48 for a denominator.

51. BuggyBoy99

Hold on.... Let's move on to a different question...

52. polpak

If you are having trouble with this still I suggest this video: http://www.khanacademy.org/video/adding-fractions-with-unlike-denominators?playlist=Developmental%20Math

53. BuggyBoy99

Ok...

54. polpak

He explains very well the process for doing this.

55. BuggyBoy99

Ok...

56. *_Artist_*

(Including mine,) You have 56 replies!

57. knowak

You can divide both numerator and denominator by the greatest common divisor of the two. ;-)

58. BuggyBoy99

Cool thanks..

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