How to solve 1/2 - 1/4?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking how to perform the subtraction of two fractions, specifically 1/2 and 1/4. To solve it, we will need to find a common denominator and then perform the subtraction.
Answer
$\frac{1}{4}$
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is $\frac{1}{4}$.
Steps to Solve
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Identify the fractions We have the two fractions: $\frac{1}{2}$ and $\frac{1}{4}$.
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Find a common denominator The denominators are 2 and 4. The least common denominator (LCD) for these fractions is 4.
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Convert the fractions Now we convert $\frac{1}{2}$ to have the common denominator of 4. To do this, we multiply the numerator and denominator by 2:
$$ \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1 \times 2}{2 \times 2} = \frac{2}{4} $$
- Perform the subtraction Subtract the converted fraction $\frac{2}{4}$ from $\frac{1}{4}$:
$$ \frac{2}{4} - \frac{1}{4} = \frac{2 - 1}{4} = \frac{1}{4} $$
- Final Result The result of the subtraction is $\frac{1}{4}$.
The final answer is $\frac{1}{4}$.
More Information
Subtracting fractions involves finding a common denominator. Here, we used 4 as the common denominator to perform the operation easily. It's important to remember that without a common denominator, you cannot directly subtract fractions.
Tips
- Neglecting to find a common denominator before subtracting.
- Incorrectly performing operations on the numerators or denominators.
