Subtract.
$\frac{1}{20}-\frac{-17}{20} =$
$\square$
Answer (2)
Rewrite the subtraction as addition: 20 1 − 20 − 17 = 20 1 + 20 17 .
Add the fractions: 20 1 + 20 17 = 20 18 .
Simplify the fraction: 20 18 = 10 9 .
The final answer is 10 9 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are asked to subtract two fractions: 20 1 and 20 − 17 .
Rewriting the Subtraction as Addition The expression is 20 1 − 20 − 17 . Subtracting a negative number is the same as adding its positive counterpart. Therefore, we can rewrite the expression as 20 1 + 20 17 .
Adding the Fractions Now, we add the two fractions. Since they have the same denominator, we can simply add the numerators: 20 1 + 20 17 = 20 1 + 17 = 20 18 .
Simplifying the Fraction Finally, we simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 2: 20 18 = 20 ÷ 2 18 ÷ 2 = 10 9 .
Examples
Fractions are used in everyday life, such as when splitting a pizza among friends or measuring ingredients for a recipe. Understanding how to subtract fractions, especially when dealing with negative numbers, is crucial for accurate calculations in various real-world scenarios, like calculating financial debts or understanding changes in temperature below zero.
To subtract 20 − 17 from 20 1 , we can rewrite it as addition: 20 1 + 20 17 . This equals 20 18 , which simplifies to 10 9 . Thus, the final answer is 10 9 .
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