Question

What are the steps in subtracting fractions with the same denominator?

Use example 7/8 - 3/8 = ?

Answer 1

To subtract fractions with the same denominator, ensure the denominators are the same, subtract the numerators, keep the denominator unchanged, and simplify the resulting fraction if possible. Using the example 7/8 - 3/8, the final answer is 1/2.

Step-by-step explanation:

Subtracting fractions with the same denominator is relatively straightforward. Let's use the example 7/8 - 3/8 to explain the process. Here are the steps you would take:

1. Ensure that the fractions have the same denominator. In our example, both fractions already have the denominator of 8, so we can proceed.
2. Subtract the numerators only. This means you take the numerator of the first fraction (7) and subtract the numerator of the second fraction (3), which gives us 7 - 3 = 4.
3. Keep the denominator the same. The denominator remains 8 in our example, as we only subtract the top numbers (numerators).
4. Write the result as a fraction. The new numerator is the result from step 2 (which is 4) over the original common denominator, so our solution is 4/8.
5. Simplify the fraction if possible. In this case, 4/8 can be simplified to 1/2 because both the numerator and the denominator can be divided by 4.

The final answer is 1/2.