12 and 60, you can no doubt see that 6 is a factor of both. Dividing top and bottom by 6 yields . Now
divide by 2. Doing so yields . Once again, you have arrived at the answer.
Fast Reduction
When calculator use is
allowed, reducing fractions
can be pretty easy. To
reduce fractions in your
scientific calculator, just
type in the fraction and hit
the equals key. If you are
using a graphing calculator,
type in the fraction, find
the [>FRAC] function, and
hit ENTER.Converting Mixed Numbers to Fractions
A mixed number is a number such as 2 . It is the sum of an integer and a fraction. When you see mixed
numbers on the SAT, you should usually convert them to ordinary fractions.
Here’s a quick and easy way to convert mixed numbers.- Multiply the integer by the bottom of the fraction.
- Add this product to the top of the fraction.
- Place this sum over the bottom of the fraction.
For practice, let’s convert 2 to a fraction. Multiply 2 (the integer part of the mixed number) by 4 (the
bottom of the fraction). That gives you 8. Add that to the 3 (the top of the fraction) to get 11. Place 11 over
4 to get .
The mixed number 2 is exactly the same as the fraction . We converted the mixed number to a fraction
because fractions are easier to work with than mixed numbers.