Fractions got you feeling frazzled? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Many people find working with fractions a bit tricky, especially when subtraction is involved. But fear not! We’re here to break down the process and make it super simple to understand.
Think of fractions as slices of a pizza. If you have five slices and eat three, how many are left? It’s the same idea with fractions! Once you understand the basic concept, subtracting fractions becomes a piece of cake (or should we say, a slice of pizza?). Let’s dive in!
Unlocking the Mystery
Before we jump into subtracting 3/4 from 5/6, let’s quickly review what a fraction actually is. A fraction represents a part of a whole. The top number (numerator) tells you how many parts you have, and the bottom number (denominator) tells you how many parts make up the whole.
The trick to subtracting fractions is ensuring they have a common denominator meaning the bottom numbers are the same. In our case, we need to find a common denominator for 4 and 6. The smallest number both 4 and 6 divide into is 12. So, 12 is our common denominator!
Now, we need to convert both fractions to have a denominator of 12. To turn 3/4 into a fraction with a denominator of 12, we multiply both the numerator and denominator by 3 (3 x 3 = 9, and 4 x 3 = 12). So, 3/4 becomes 9/12.
Next, we convert 5/6. To get a denominator of 12, we multiply both the numerator and denominator by 2 (5 x 2 = 10, and 6 x 2 = 12). Therefore, 5/6 becomes 10/12. Now we can subtract!
Now that both fractions have the same denominator, subtracting is easy! Simply subtract the numerators: 10/12 – 9/12 = 1/12. That’s it! Subtracting 3/4 from 5/6 (after converting) equals 1/12.
So, next time you’re faced with subtracting fractions, remember the key steps: find a common denominator, convert the fractions, and then subtract the numerators. Practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to try a few more examples. Keep practicing and subtracting fractions will be a breeze in no time!