Question

How do you simplify `\frac{-18-42}{80}`?

Answer 1

`-60/80 = -3/4`

Explanation:

Let's break it down. First, we will do `color(blue)(-18-42)` , because it will be easier to simplify as one fraction: (meaning one number as the numerator, and one number as the denominator)

So `color(blue)(-18-42)` is the same as `-60.` Thus the fraction becomes:

`color(red)(-60/80)`

Now let's simplify `color(red)(-60/80)`. From looking at the fraction we can see that they both are divisible by 20. So:

`color(red)(-60/80)` `->` `color(red)(-3/4)`

`color(red)(-60/80)` is equivalent to `color(pink)(-3/4)`

Answer 2

Just another path to arrive at the same answer as the others

`-3/4`

Explanation:

`-18-42=-60` giving:

`-60/80 -> -(6cancel(0))/(8cancel(0))`

`-(6-:2)/(8-:2)=-3/4`