Chapter 4: Problem 76
Add or subtract the fractions, as indicated, and simplify your result. $$\frac{-7}{9}-\frac{1}{9}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The simplified result is \( \frac{-8}{9} \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Fractions
We have two fractions to work with: \( \frac{-7}{9} \) and \( \frac{1}{9} \). Each fraction has the same denominator, which is 9.
02
Subtract the Numerators
Because the denominators are the same, we can directly subtract the numerators: \(-7 - 1\).
03
Calculate the New Numerator
Perform the subtraction of the numerators: \(-7 - 1 = -8\).
04
Form the New Fraction
Combine the new numerator with the common denominator to form the resulting fraction: \( \frac{-8}{9} \).
05
Simplify the Fraction
Check if the fraction \( \frac{-8}{9} \) can be simplified further. Since 8 and 9 have no common divisors other than 1, the fraction is already in its simplest form.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Addition of Fractions
When adding fractions, our primary goal is to combine them into a single fraction. For this, both fractions must have a common denominator. This makes it easy to handle the numerators without affecting the value of the fractions.
- If the denominators are already the same, it simplifies the process greatly. Just like in our task, where both fractions, \( \frac{-7}{9} \) and \( \frac{1}{9} \), share the denominator 9.
- Add the numerators while keeping the common denominator constant. For instance, if you had to add \( \frac{-7}{9} \) and another fraction like \( \frac{2}{9} \), you would reshape it to:\[-7 + 2 = -5 \].
- The resulting fraction is then \( \frac{-5}{9} \).
Subtraction of Fractions
Just like with addition, subtraction of fractions requires them to have the same denominator. With a shared denominator, it's straightforward to subtract the numerators.
Here’s how you can subtract fractions effectively:
Here’s how you can subtract fractions effectively:
- Ensure that both fractions have the same denominator, which is true in our exercise with \( \frac{-7}{9} \) and \( \frac{1}{9} \). This means we can focus directly on numerators.
- Subtract the second fraction's numerator from the first. In our problem: \(-7 - 1 = -8\).
- This operation results in the fraction \( \frac{-8}{9} \).
Simplifying Fractions
Once you've performed addition or subtraction, simplifying the resulting fraction is essential to reach the neatest form possible.
Here are the steps to simplify fractions:
Here are the steps to simplify fractions:
- Identify any common factors between the numerator and the denominator. This means finding the highest number that divides evenly into both.
- For \( \frac{-8}{9} \), check if there are any common factors between 8 and 9 beyond 1. Since there aren't any, \( \frac{-8}{9} \) is already in simplified form.
- In circumstances where there are common factors, divide both the numerator and the denominator by that common factor.