Q&A for How to Simplify an Improper Fraction

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What if I have a big numerator, like 124?

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As long as the denominator is less than 124 you have an improper fraction, and you can use the methods presented here to solve. The division method would be easiest, since drawing a model with 124 pieces would take some time.

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Question

What if I want to simplify it without making it a mixed number? Like simplifying it into a regular fraction?

Donagan

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You cannot convert an improper fraction into a proper fraction.

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Question

How do I reduce 42 by 18 5/9?

Donagan

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First change 42 to 41 9/9. Then subtract 18 from 41, and subtract 5/9 from 9/9. The difference is 23 4/9.

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Question

How do I simplify, to the lowest term, 15/6?

Donagan

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Divide both numerator and denominator by the largest factor that both numbers have in common. 15 = 5x3. 6 = 2x3. Therefore, 3 is the largest common factor. Divide 3 into both the numerator and denominator to simplify the fraction to its lowest terms.

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How do I simplify 11 28/24?

Donagan

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Change 28/24 to 1 4/24. Combine the "1" with the "11" and we have 12 4/24, which simplifies to 12 1/6.

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What is the simplest form of 15/12.

Donagan

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It reduces to 5/4 or 1¼.

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Question

How would I simplify 42/24?

Donagan

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First divide both the numerator and the denominator by 2 to get the fraction 21/12. Then divide both the new numerator and new denominator by 3 to get the fraction 7/4. (You can also arrive at the same result by dividing the original numerator and denominator by 6, which is 2 x 3.) That's as far as the fraction will reduce, because there is no whole number that will divide evenly into both the numerator and the denominator of this last fraction. So the final answer is 7/4 or 1¾.

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If I multiply both terms of 2/3 by 4, what do I get?

Donagan

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If you multiply both numerator and denominator by 4, you get 8/12 or 2/3. In other words, you're multiplying 2/3 by 4/4, which is multiplying by 1.

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How do I simplify 18/12?

Community Answer

Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common factor, which is 6. Thus, 18/12 = 3/2.

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What is the product of 3 4/5 and 2 1/3?

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(3 4/5)(2 1/3) = (19/5)(7/3) = 133/15 = 8 13/15.

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How do I simplify a fraction if the denominator is larger than the numerator, like 15/20?

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Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common factor. In this case, the GCF is 5. Dividing both numerator and denominator by 5 reduces 15/20 to 3/4. (This works whether the numerator or the denominator is larger.)

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How do I simplify 38/20?

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Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common factor, which in this case is 2. The reduced or simplified fraction is 19/10 or 1 9/10.

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How do I simplify 5 19/15?

Community Answer

That number can't really be "simplified", but we see that 19/15 is an improper fraction that equals 1 4/15. So 5 19/15 = 6 4/15.

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How do I convert 25/24 into a mixed fraction?

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Remove 24/24 and show that as a 1. So 25/24 = 1 1/24.

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How do I simplify 28/3?

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You would first recognize that 27/3 = 9 and then convert 28/3 to 9 1/3.

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How do I convert an improper fraction like 14/5 to a mixed number?

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You divide 14 by 5. The quotient is 2 with a remainder of 4. As a mixed number, that's 2 4/5.

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How do I simplify 30/24?

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Divide both the numerator and the denominator by the largest number that will divide evenly into each of them. That number is 6. Thus, 30/24 simplifies (reduces) to 5/4.

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How do you simplify a fraction when both the numerator and denominator are the same, like 6/6?

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A fraction where the numerator and denominator are the same simplifies to 1.

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How do I simplify 25/6?

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Divide 25 by 6. That's 4 with a remainder of 1. So the simplified number is 4 1/6.

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How do you solve this fraction: 3/4 of 22?

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Multiply 22 by 3/4: (22)(3/4) = 66/4 = 33/2 = 16 1/2.

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How do I convert 20/10 into a fraction?

I_l1ke_gam3s

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20/10 is a fraction already, but maybe your teacher wanted to simplify this completely, in which your answer is +2.

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How do I reduce the improper fraction 20/8?

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Reduce by dividing both numerator and denominator by the largest possible number that will divide evenly into both, in this case 4. 20/8 = 5/2. (You can also express this as 2 1/2.)

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What is the sum of 3/4 + 4/5?

I_l1ke_gam3s

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3/4 + 4/5 = 15/20 + 16/20 = 31/20 = 1 11/20.

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What is 12/6 simplified?

I_l1ke_gam3s

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12/6 = 2/1 = 2.

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Question

Convert 32/5 to an improper fraction.

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32/5 is already an improper fraction. If you want to convert it to a mixed number (mixed fraction), divide the numerator by the denominator. 32 ÷ 5 = 6 with a remainder of 2, which, as a mixed number, is 6 2/5.

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How do I reduce 12/6 in lowest terms?

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12/6 = 2/1 = 2.

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What is 32/24? Either my math teacher is not smart or I'm not doing it right.

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32/24 = 4/3 = 1 1/3. (It's quite likely that your math teacher is smart.)

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How do I simplify 18/21?

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Divide the numerator and denominator by 3. That makes 6/7.

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