Menu

Cancel First

Part of the Factors & Fractions section of Coddy's Pre-Algebra journey. Lesson 33 of 56.

415⋅56\frac{4}{15}\cdot \frac{5}{6} multiplies to 4⋅515⋅6\frac{4\cdot 5}{15\cdot 6}, which is 2090\frac{20}{90}, and then you still have to simplify it. There is a shorter road: simplify before you multiply.

Every top ends up on the top of the product and every bottom on the bottom, so any top can be simplified with any bottom, even the other fraction's. 4 and 6 share a 2: they become 2 and 3. 5 and 15 share a 5: they become 1 and 3. The product is now 23⋅13\frac{2}{3}\cdot \frac{1}{3}, which is 29\frac{2}{9}.

This is called cancelling. It is the same division by a shared factor that simplifying does, done while the numbers are still small. If you cancel every shared factor first, the product comes out in lowest terms. Two tops can never cancel with each other, though: dividing two tops changes the value.

challenge icon

Challenge

Work out 49⋅38\frac{4}{9}\cdot \frac{3}{8}. Cancel first, then multiply.

Try it yourself

49⋅38\frac{4}{9}\cdot \frac{3}{8}

Simplify

All lessons in Factors & Fractions