Subtracting Fractions with Like Denominators

A fraction represents a part of a whole. It consists of a numerator (top number) and a denominator (bottom number).

Subtracting fractions with like denominators means you can subtract the numerators while keeping the denominator the same.

The simplest form of a fraction is when the numerator and denominator are as small as possible, meaning they have no common factors other than 1.

$$\frac{3}{5} - \frac{1}{5} = \frac{2}{5}$$ .

$$\frac{8}{12} - \frac{4}{12} = \frac{4}{12} = \frac{1}{3}$$ in simplest form.

The first step is to subtract the numerators.

$$\frac{10}{10} - \frac{3}{10} = \frac{7}{10}$$ .

Divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor, which is 4. So, $$\frac{8 \, \text{divided by} \, 4}{12 \, \text{divided by} \, 4} = \frac{2}{3}$$ .

$$\frac{5}{6} - \frac{2}{6} = \frac{3}{6} = \frac{1}{2}$$ in simplest form.

She needs $$\frac{8}{12}$$ more pencils.