Question

100 POINTS PLEASE HELP ASAP!!!! Explain the concept of using cancellation to reduce fractions.

Answer 1

Canceling is a way to simplify fractions before we multiply. Find one numerator and one denominator that are divisible by the same number. ... Sometimes a diagonal numerator and denominator are the same number. This is the easiest kind of cancellation, because they both cancel to 1.

Answer 2

Explanation:

A "reduced" fraction is one that has mutually prime numerator and denominator. That is, the numerator and denominator have no common factors.

A fraction is "reduced" by canceling common factors from numerator and denominator. If "a" is a factor common to the numerator and denominator of a fraction, that fraction can be written with "a" canceled from each:

  $\dfrac{ab}{ac}=\dfrac{a}{a}\cdot\dfrac{b}{c}=1\cdot\dfrac{b}{c}=\dfrac{b}{c}$

Here is a numerical example:

  $\dfrac{2}{4}=\dfrac{2\cdot 1}{2\cdot 2}=\dfrac{2}{2}\cdot\dfrac{1}{2}=\dfrac{1}{2}$

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A numerator factor and a denominator factor "cancel" because their ratio is 1, the identity element for multiplication. Anything times 1 is just that thing.