Mixed numbers may need to be reduced when they are not in simplest form. In this lesson, we will see some examples of how to simplify mixed numbers.
Content
Recall that a mixed number is a number containing a whole number and a fraction.
To simplify a fraction, we divide the numerator and denominator by the common factors.
1) Simplify 52/4
We cannot reduce the whole number 5, however, we can simplify the fraction 2/4. To simplify that fraction we divide the numerator 2 and the denominator 4 by 2.
We are done, the answer is 51/2.
2) Simplify 46/15
It is not possible to reduce 4 wholes, but we can simplify the fraction 6/15. To simplify this fraction, we divide the numerator 6 and the denominator 15 by 3.
The final answer is 43/5.
3) Simplify the mixed number 212/18
We cannot simplify 2 wholes, however we can simplify the fraction 12/18, so we are going to divide the numerator 12 and the denominator 18 by the common factor 6.
The answer is 22/3. In the image below we can check that the mixed numbers 212/18 and 22/3 are equivalent.
Video
In the following video, we will see more examples of how to simplify a mixed number.
In this post, you will see how to convert a mixed number to an improper fraction.
References
For this lesson, we have used this book:
- Tobey, J.; Slater, J., Blair, J. & Crawford, J. (2017). Basic College Mathematics (8th ed.; pp. 124-126). Pearson.