Simplify the operation
Reduce (simplify) the fractions to their lowest terms equivalents:
- To reduce a fraction to the lowest terms equivalent: divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor, GCF.
The fraction: - 157/217
- 157/217 is already reduced to the lowest terms.
The numerator and denominator have no common prime factors:
- 157 is a prime number.
- 217 = 7 × 31
- GCF (157; 217) = 1
The fraction: - 138/213
- The prime factorizations of the numerator and denominator:
- 138 = 2 × 3 × 23
- 213 = 3 × 71
- Multiply all the common prime factors: if there are repeating prime factors we only take them once, and only the ones having the lowest exponent (the lowest powers).
- GCF (138; 213) = 3
- 138/213 = - (138 ÷ 3)/(213 ÷ 3) = - 46/71
The fraction can also be reduced without calculating GCF; factor the numerator and denominator and cross out all the common prime factors:
- 138/213 = - (2 × 3 × 23)/(3 × 71) = - ((2 × 3 × 23) ÷ 3)/((3 × 71) ÷ 3) = - 46/71
The fraction: - 123/243
- 123 = 3 × 41
- 243 = 35
- GCF (123; 243) = 3
- 123/243 = - (123 ÷ 3)/(243 ÷ 3) = - 41/81
The fraction can also be reduced without calculating GCF; factor the numerator and denominator and cross out all the common prime factors:
- 123/243 = - (3 × 41)/35 = - ((3 × 41) ÷ 3)/(35 ÷ 3) = - 41/81
The fraction: - 148/271
- 148/271 is already reduced to the lowest terms.
The numerator and denominator have no common prime factors:
- 148 = 22 × 37
- 271 is a prime number.
- GCF (148; 271) = 1
The fraction: - 146/330
- 146 = 2 × 73
- 330 = 2 × 3 × 5 × 11
- GCF (146; 330) = 2
- 146/330 = - (146 ÷ 2)/(330 ÷ 2) = - 73/165
The fraction can also be reduced without calculating GCF; factor the numerator and denominator and cross out all the common prime factors:
- 146/330 = - (2 × 73)/(2 × 3 × 5 × 11) = - ((2 × 73) ÷ 2)/((2 × 3 × 5 × 11) ÷ 2) = - 73/165
Calculate the expanding number of each fraction:
Divide the LCM by the numerator of each fraction.
- 157/217 ⟶ 1,599,543,004 ÷ 157 = (22 × 23 × 37 × 41 × 73 × 157) ÷ 157 = 10,188,172
- 46/71 ⟶ 1,599,543,004 ÷ 46 = (22 × 23 × 37 × 41 × 73 × 157) ÷ (2 × 23) = 34,772,674
- 41/81 ⟶ 1,599,543,004 ÷ 41 = (22 × 23 × 37 × 41 × 73 × 157) ÷ 41 = 39,013,244
- 148/271 ⟶ 1,599,543,004 ÷ 148 = (22 × 23 × 37 × 41 × 73 × 157) ÷ (22 × 37) = 10,807,723
- 73/165 ⟶ 1,599,543,004 ÷ 73 = (22 × 23 × 37 × 41 × 73 × 157) ÷ 73 = 21,911,548
Make the numerators of the fractions the same:
- Expand each fraction: multiply both its numerator and denominator by its corresponding expanding number, calculated above.
- This way all the fractions will have the same numerator:
- 157/217 = - (10,188,172 × 157)/(10,188,172 × 217) = - 1,599,543,004/2,210,833,324
- 46/71 = - (34,772,674 × 46)/(34,772,674 × 71) = - 1,599,543,004/2,468,859,854
- 41/81 = - (39,013,244 × 41)/(39,013,244 × 81) = - 1,599,543,004/3,160,072,764
- 148/271 = - (10,807,723 × 148)/(10,807,723 × 271) = - 1,599,543,004/2,928,892,933
- 73/165 = - (21,911,548 × 73)/(21,911,548 × 165) = - 1,599,543,004/3,615,405,420