1.1 Fractions and Decimals

Fractions and decimals are fundamental concepts in arithmetic. Operations with fractions include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Fractions can also be simplified to their lowest terms by determining the greatest common factor (GCF) of the numerator and denominator. Decimals are numbers written in a base-10 system and can be converted to fractions and vice versa.

Key Concepts:

Example 1: Addition of Fractions

Simplify: \[ \frac{3}{4} + \frac{5}{6} \]

Solution:

Step 1: Find the LCM of the denominators 4 and 6: \[ \text{LCM} = 12 \] Step 2: Convert each fraction to have a denominator of 12: \[ \frac{3}{4} = \frac{9}{12}, \quad \frac{5}{6} = \frac{10}{12} \] Step 3: Add the fractions: \[ \frac{9}{12} + \frac{10}{12} = \frac{19}{12} \] Therefore, the result is: \[ \frac{19}{12} \]

Example 2: Multiplication of Fractions

Simplify: \[ \frac{2}{3} \times \frac{4}{5} \]

Solution:

Multiply the numerators and the denominators: \[ \frac{2 \times 4}{3 \times 5} = \frac{8}{15} \] Therefore, the result is: \[ \frac{8}{15} \]

Example 3: Division of Fractions

Simplify: \[ \frac{5}{6} \div \frac{2}{9} \]

Solution:

To divide, multiply by the reciprocal: \[ \frac{5}{6} \div \frac{2}{9} = \frac{5}{6} \times \frac{9}{2} = \frac{5 \times 9}{6 \times 2} = \frac{45}{12} \] Simplify the result: \[ \frac{45}{12} = \frac{15}{4} \] Therefore, the answer is: \[ \frac{15}{4} \]

Example 4: Multiplication of Decimals

Simplify: \[ 1.25 \times 0.4 \]

Solution:

Step 1: Multiply as if they are whole numbers: \[ 125 \times 4 = 500 \] Step 2: Count the total number of decimal places: 1.25 has 2 decimal places, and 0.4 has 1 decimal place, so total = 3. Step 3: Adjust the product by placing the decimal point: \[ 500 \rightarrow 0.500 \] Therefore, the result is: \[ 0.5 \]

Example 5: Factorization of a Number

Factorize 84 into its prime factors.

Solution:

Step 1: Divide successively by prime numbers: \[ 84 \div 2 = 42, \quad 42 \div 2 = 21, \quad 21 \div 3 = 7 \] Step 2: Write the product of prime factors: \[ 84 = 2^2 \times 3 \times 7 \]

Example 6: Finding the HCF

Find the HCF of 48 and 180.

Solution:

Step 1: Perform prime factorization: \[ 48 = 2^4 \times 3, \quad 180 = 2^2 \times 3^2 \times 5 \] Step 2: Identify common prime factors: Common factors are \(2^2\) and \(3\) Step 3: Multiply the common factors: \[ \text{HCF} = 2^2 \times 3 = 12 \]

Example 7: Simplify an Expression with Mixed Numbers

Simplify: \[ \frac{1\frac{7}{8} \times 2\frac{2}{5}}{6\frac{3}{4} \div \frac{3}{4}} \]

Solution:

Step 1: Convert all mixed numbers to improper fractions: \[ 1\frac{7}{8} = \frac{15}{8}, \quad 2\frac{2}{5} = \frac{12}{5}, \quad 6\frac{3}{4} = \frac{27}{4} \] Step 2: Multiply the fractions in the numerator: \[ \frac{15}{8} \times \frac{12}{5} = \frac{180}{40} = \frac{9}{2} \] Step 3: Divide the fractions in the denominator: \[ \frac{27}{4} \div \frac{3}{4} = \frac{27}{4} \times \frac{4}{3} = \frac{108}{12} = 9 \] Step 4: Divide the numerator by the denominator: \[ \frac{\frac{9}{2}}{9} = \frac{9}{2} \times \frac{1}{9} = \frac{1}{2} \] Final answer: \[ \boxed{\frac{1}{2}} \]

Section 1: Number and Numeration Chapters

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