MULTIPLICATION: Problem 1

Rule 13: To multiply three or more simple fractions, complete the following three steps.

1.

Multiply the numerators.

2.

Multiply the denominators.

3.

Reduce the results. (See Rule 10)
a.
Factor the product of the numerators.
b.
Factor the product of the denominators.
c.
Look for the fractions that have a value of 1.

Problem 1: Multiply tex2html_wrap_inline62 and reduce the answer.

Answer. The answer is .

Solution. Multiply the numerators and the denominators, but leave them in factored form tex2html_wrap_inline66 .

Factor the numerator, factor the denominator, and look for the fractions in the mix that have a value of 1.

Check: You can check the answer with your calculator. Calculate and calculate and . If the answers are the same, it means that tex2html_wrap_inline62 and are equivalent and you have worked the problem correctly.

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Author: Nancy Marcus