Solution - Reducing fractions to their lowest terms

Step  1  :

            21
 Simplify   ——
            2 

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  56    21
  —— -  ——
  7     2 

Step  2  :

            8
 Simplify   —
            1

Equation at the end of step  2  :

       21
  8 -  ——
       2 

Step  3  :

Rewriting the whole as an Equivalent Fraction :

 3.1   Subtracting a fraction from a whole

Rewrite the whole as a fraction using  2  as the denominator :

          8     8 • 2
     8 =  —  =  —————
          1       2  

Equivalent fraction : The fraction thus generated looks different but has the same value as the whole

Common denominator : The equivalent fraction and the other fraction involved in the calculation share the same denominator

Adding fractions that have a common denominator :

 3.2       Adding up the two equivalent fractions
Add the two equivalent fractions which now have a common denominator

Combine the numerators together, put the sum or difference over the common denominator then reduce to lowest terms if possible:

 8 • 2 - (21)     -5
 ————————————  =  ——
      2           2 

Final result :

  -5            
  —— = -2.50000 
  2