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Simplify:- the following fraction


Simplify:- the following fraction ​-example-1

1 Answer

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Answer: 2 & 59/396

Whole part = 2

Fractional part = 59/396

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Work Shown:

3 & 3/5 = 3 + 3/5

3 & 3/5 = 15/5 + 3/5

3 & 3/5 = 18/5

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4 & 8/9 = 4 + 8/9

4 & 8/9 = 36/9 + 8/9

4 & 8/9 = 44/9

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Now apply the rule that 1/(A/B) = B/A. We apply the reciprocal to the fraction A/B to get B/A

That means something like 1/(18/5) becomes 5/18

Also, 1 over (44/9) becomes 9/44

1 over (3/5) becomes 5/3

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We now have the following:

(5/18) + (9/44) + (5/3)

We'll come back to this later. But first need the LCD, which means we need the LCM of the denominators.

Write out the prime factorization of each denominator

  • 18 = 2*3*3
  • 44 = 2*2*11
  • 3 = 1*3

The unique prime factors are: 2, 3, 11

  • We have 2 occur at most twice, so 2^2 is part of the LCM.
  • We have 3 occur at most twice, so 3^2 is part of the LCM
  • We have 11 occur at most 1 time, so 11^1 is part of the LCM

The LCM is 2^2*3^3*11^1 = 1188, which is also the LCD

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We need to get each fraction to have the LCD

5/18 = (5/18)*(66/66) = 330/1188

9/44 = (9/44)*(27/27) = 243/1188

5/3 = (5/3)*(396/396) = 1980/1188

We can now add the fractions like so

(5/18) + (9/44) + (5/3)

(330/1188) + (243/1188) + (1980/1188)

(330+243+1980)/1188

2553/1188

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We're almost done. We just need to convert to a mixed number, aka mixed fraction

Using a calculator or long division, you should find that

2553/1188 = 2.1489898989899

approximately. Focus just on the stuff to the left of the decimal point. That's the whole part of the answer.

We can then say: 2553-1188*2 = 177

This forms the numerator of the fractional part. The denominator stays at the LCD 1188

That forms the fraction 177/1188. Divide both parts of that fraction by 3 to fully reduce it. You should get to 59/396

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So that's how we end up with the mixed number 2 & 59/396

User Dean Clark
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