Q. Evaluate the expression shown below and write your answer as a fraction in simplest form.175−178Answer:
Identify common denominator: Identify the common denominator.Both fractions have the same denominator, which is 17. This means we can subtract the numerators directly.
Subtract numerators: Subtract the numerators.Subtract the numerator of the second fraction from the numerator of the first fraction.(175)−(178)=175−8
Calculate difference: Calculate the difference.Calculate the difference of the numerators.5−8=−3
Write result as fraction: Write the result as a fraction.The result of the subtraction is −3, so the fraction is (−3)/17.
Simplify fraction: Simplify the fraction if possible.The fraction (−3)/17 is already in its simplest form because −3 and 17 have no common factors other than 1.