Solve the Fraction Subtraction: 2/5 - 2/6 Step-by-Step

Question

Solve the following exercise:

2526=? \frac{2}{5}-\frac{2}{6}=\text{?}

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Solve
00:03 Multiply by the second denominator to find the common denominator
00:07 Make sure to multiply both numerator and denominator
00:19 Calculate the multiplications
00:26 Subtract with the common denominator
00:31 Calculate the numerator
00:35 Reduce the fraction as much as possible
00:39 Make sure to divide both numerator and denominator
00:43 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll walk through these steps:

  • Step 1: Determine the least common denominator (LCD) for the denominators 5 and 6.
  • Step 2: Convert each fraction to an equivalent fraction with the LCD.
  • Step 3: Subtract the numerators of the equivalent fractions.
  • Step 4: Simplify the resulting fraction if possible.

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: Determine the least common denominator (LCD).
The denominators are 5 and 6. Since there is no common factor, the LCD is 5×6=30 5 \times 6 = 30 .

Step 2: Convert each fraction to an equivalent fraction with the LCD.
For 25 \frac{2}{5} , multiply numerator and denominator by 6 to get 2×65×6=1230 \frac{2 \times 6}{5 \times 6} = \frac{12}{30} .
For 26 \frac{2}{6} , multiply numerator and denominator by 5 to get 2×56×5=1030 \frac{2 \times 5}{6 \times 5} = \frac{10}{30} .

Step 3: Subtract the fractions with the same denominator.
12301030=121030=230 \frac{12}{30} - \frac{10}{30} = \frac{12 - 10}{30} = \frac{2}{30} .

Step 4: Simplify the resulting fraction.
230 \frac{2}{30} can be simplified by dividing numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 2.
Thus, 230=115 \frac{2}{30} = \frac{1}{15} .

Therefore, the solution to the problem is 115 \frac{1}{15} .

Answer

115 \frac{1}{15}