RE: Complex Fractions

[brown_eyes01]

RE: Complex Fractions

Hello:

I hope I can receive an answer to a math problem that I am having a difficult time with.
9/25 divided by 4/5-1/10. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Denis]

To make it look "clear":
(9/25) / [(4/5) - (1/10)]

Start with the main denominator [(4/5) - (1/10)]; simplify it to one fraction:
since 4/5 = 8/10, then 8/10 - 1/10 = 7/10; so we now have (9/25) / (7/10)

RULE: (a/b) / (c/d) = (a/b) * (d/c)
I'll let you finish it.

 

[soroban]

Hello, brown_eyes01!

\(\displaystyle \text{Simplify: }\;\frac{\frac{9}{25}}{\frac{4}{5}-\frac{1}{10}}\)

This is a complex fraction, one with more than two "levels".


The recommended procedure (which no one seems to recommend!)

. . is to multiply top and bottom by the LCD of all the denominators.


\(\displaystyle \text{We have: }\;\frac{50\left(\frac{9}{25}\right)}{50\left(\frac{4}{5}-\frac{1}{10}\right)} \;=\; \frac{18}{40 - 5} \;=\; \frac{18}{35}\)

 

[Denis]

The recommended procedure (which no one seems to recommend!)
. . is to multiply top and bottom by the LCD of all the denominators.

not quite; should be: .....by the LCD of the denominators of all the individual fractions.
50 is not the LCD of 4/5 - 1/10 which is a denominator :idea: