Expert: Abe Mantell - 1/19/2008

Question
Hope you can help me.  I do not understand fractions at all.  Can you please tell me, how do you reduce fractions down?  Also how do you reduce them when there is a whole number and a fraction? For instance; 2 1/2?

Answer
Hello Jen,

Fractions represent ratios.  For example:
If I have 5 apples, and you have 10...then the ratio
of your apples to my apples is 10/5, which reduces to
2/1 (divide numerator and denominator by 5). This shows
that for every 1 apple I have, you have 2 (or twice as
many).  Or, the ratio of my apples to your apples is
5/10=1/2, which tells us that for every 1 apple I have,
you have 2 (or I have 1/2 as many).  OK?

As for 2 1/2, that is the same as 2.5 or 5/2.

As for reducing fractions...what you do is factor both
the numerator and denominator.  Then "cancel" (really
divide) out the common factors.

For example:  12/15 = (3*4)/(3*5) = 4/5.

I hope this helps.

Abe