Q&A for How to Reduce Fractions

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  • Question
    How do I reduce a fraction with an odd number?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If either the numerator or the denominator -- or both -- is odd, you will have to find some low, odd number that will divide evenly into both numbers. If you can't do so, the fraction may be irreducible.
  • Question
    Can I reduce fractions if the denominator is larger than the numerator?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    The fact that a fraction's denominator is larger than its numerator means it's a proper fraction. It has no bearing on whether the fraction can be reduced. A reducible fraction is one whose numerator and denominator are both divisible by the same number.
  • Question
    Can you give three fractions that are in lower terms than 8/12?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    8/12 reduces only to 4/6 and 2/3.
  • Question
    How do I simiplfy 10/8?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Find a small number (in this case 2) that will divide evenly into both numerator and denominator, and do that as many times as possible. Here 10/8 = 5/4. 5/4 is irreducible, because no number (other than 1) will divide evenly into both 5 and 4.
  • Question
    What is the estimated product of 68.75 and 78?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    First round 68.75 up to 70, and round 78 up to 80. Then multiply 70 by 80 in your head by multiplying 7 by 8 (which is 56) and adding two zeroes to the right: 5,600. That could be your estimate, or you could choose to reduce the number a little to offset the rounding up you did earlier. You could reduce 5,600 by about 2% to perhaps 5,500 (a slightly more accurate estimate).
  • Question
    What does 375/12,500 reduce to?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If you divide both numerator and denominator by 125, you get 3/100.
  • Question
    Can I reduce 25/44?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    No.
  • Question
    How do I calculate the fraction 5/12?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    The only "calculating" you can do is to divide 12 into 5 and get a decimal number that is less than 1.
  • Question
    What is the best and the fastest way to learn fractions?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Mathematicians have been studying fractions for many centuries, and the best and fastest way to learn about fractions is the way they're taught in school, since mathematicians are the ones who designed the schools' math curricula.
  • Question
    How do I reduce 161/483?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Find the largest possible number that will divide evenly into both the numerator and the denominator. As it happens, 161 will divide evenly into both 161 and 483, so that the fraction reduces to 1/3.
  • Question
    How do I know if a ratio is equal or not?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If you're wondering whether or not one ratio is equal to another ratio, look for some number that will divide evenly into the larger numerator to yield the smaller numerator and will also divide evenly into the larger denominator to yield the smaller denominator. If you can find such a number, the ratios are equal. For example, compare the ratio 15:18 (or the fraction 15/18) to the ratio 5:6 (or 5/6). You can divide both 15 and 18 by 3, yielding 5 and 6. Therefore, 15/18 is equal to 5/6.
  • Question
    How do I go about reducing the fraction xy + 3y/2x + 3?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    That fraction is not reducible.
  • Question
    What's the simplified answer of 37944/41616 or 7 3/4 x 6/51?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    37,944 / 41,616 reduces to 527 / 578. (7¾)(6/51) = (31/4)(6/51) = 186/204 = 31/34.
  • Question
    How do I simplify 3/2 + (-6/5)?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    3/2 + (-6/5) = 3/2 - 6/5 = 15/10 - 12/10 = 3/10.
  • Question
    What is 3/4 multiplied by 36?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    (3/4)(36) = 108/4 = 27.
  • Question
    What is the complete series of equivalent fractions in 5/10, ?/2, 3/?, 15/?, ?/6, 1/?, ?/10?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Because 5/10 equals 1/2, all the other fractions in the series must equal 1/2. So the series is 5/10, 1/2, 3/6, 15/30, 3/6, 1/2, 5/10.
  • Question
    How do I solve 4 1/2 + 3 1/4 + 6 2/3 + 5 5/8?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    First find the lowest (least) common denominator, which is 3 x 8 = 24. Then the problem becomes 4 12/24 + 3 6/24 + 6 16/24 + 5 15/24 = 108/24 + 78/24 + 144/24 + 135/24 = 465/24. Perform that division, which yields 19 9/24 or 19 3/8.
  • Question
    How do I reduce quickly 4/8?
    Ruby
    Top Answerer
    4/8 is the same as a half. You can figure this out by finding a number both the numerator and denominator can be divided by, in this case 4. And divide both numbers by that to get ½. Say you didn't know you could divide both numbers by 4, you could divide both numbers by 2 to get 2/4. From there you could divide it by 2 again to get ½.
  • Question
    How would you reduce impropor fractions?
    I_l1ke_gam3s
    Community Answer
    The same way as reducing proper fractions. Divide the numerator and the denominator by the greatest common factor, and if desired, turn it into a mixed number by dividing the numerator by the denominator.
  • Question
    How can I get math easily?
    Community Answer
    See Understand Math and related articles.
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