Simplify the given complex fractions in this math worksheet.
Complex fractions worksheet with ten problems requiring simplification of algebraic fractions, including expressions with variables and operations like addition, subtraction, and division.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Simplifying Fractions Worksheets - Math Monks
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Simplifying Fractions Worksheets - Math Monks
Explanation:
Let's simplify each complex fraction step by step.
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① $\frac{5 - 2x}{x^2 + 2x}$
Factor the denominator: $x^2 + 2x = x(x + 2)$
Numerator: $5 - 2x$ — no common factors with denominator
So the expression is: $\frac{5 - 2x}{x(x + 2)}$
No simplification possible.
Final: $\frac{5 - 2x}{x(x + 2)}$
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② $\frac{xy(x + y)}{3y^2 + 5x^2}$
Numerator: $xy(x + y)$
Denominator: $3y^2 + 5x^2$ — cannot factor easily, and no common terms with numerator
No common factors
Final: $\frac{xy(x + y)}{3y^2 + 5x^2}$
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③ $\frac{\frac{a}{b} + \frac{x}{y}}{\frac{a}{z} + \frac{x}{c}}$
This is a complex fraction. To simplify, multiply numerator and denominator by the least common denominator (LCD) of all the small fractions.
LCD of $b, y, z, c$ is $b y z c$
Multiply numerator and denominator by $b y z c$:
Numerator:
$\left(\frac{a}{b} + \frac{x}{y}\right) \cdot b y z c = a y z c + x b z c$
Denominator:
$\left(\frac{a}{z} + \frac{x}{c}\right) \cdot b y z c = a b y c + x b y z$
So the expression becomes:
$\frac{a y z c + x b z c}{a b y c + x b y z}$
Factor numerator and denominator:
Numerator: $z c (a y + x b)$
Denominator: $b y (a c + x z)$
So: $\frac{z c (a y + b x)}{b y (a c + x z)}$
No further simplification.
Final: $\frac{z c (a y + b x)}{b y (a c + x z)}$
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④ $\frac{\frac{1}{x} + \frac{2}{x}}{x + \frac{2}{x^2}}$
Simplify numerator: $\frac{1}{x} + \frac{2}{x} = \frac{3}{x}$
Denominator: $x + \frac{2}{x^2} = \frac{x^3 + 2}{x^2}$
Now: $\frac{3/x}{(x^3 + 2)/x^2} = \frac{3}{x} \cdot \frac{x^2}{x^3 + 2} = \frac{3x}{x^3 + 2}$
Final: $\frac{3x}{x^3 + 2}$
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⑤ $\frac{x + \frac{2d}{3ac}}{x + \frac{3d}{2ac}}$
Multiply numerator and denominator by $6ac$ (LCM of denominators 3ac and 2ac)
Numerator: $(x + \frac{2d}{3ac}) \cdot 6ac = 6ac \cdot x + 6ac \cdot \frac{2d}{3ac} = 6acx + 4d$
Denominator: $(x + \frac{3d}{2ac}) \cdot 6ac = 6acx + 6ac \cdot \frac{3d}{2ac} = 6acx + 9d$
So: $\frac{6acx + 4d}{6acx + 9d}$
No common factors, so this is simplified.
Final: $\frac{6acx + 4d}{6acx + 9d}$
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⑥ $\frac{5a}{2(a + 2)}$
Numerator: $5a$
Denominator: $2(a + 2)$
No common factors
Final: $\frac{5a}{2(a + 2)}$
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⑦ $\frac{x}{2 - 3x}$
This is already simplified.
No common factors.
Final: $\frac{x}{2 - 3x}$
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⑧ $\frac{\frac{x + 1}{3}}{\frac{2x - 1}{3}}$
Divide fractions: $\frac{x + 1}{3} \div \frac{2x - 1}{3} = \frac{x + 1}{3} \cdot \frac{3}{2x - 1} = \frac{x + 1}{2x - 1}$
Final: $\frac{x + 1}{2x - 1}$
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⑨ $\frac{1 - \frac{x}{y}}{\frac{x^2}{y^2} - 1}$
Simplify numerator: $1 - \frac{x}{y} = \frac{y - x}{y}$
Denominator: $\frac{x^2}{y^2} - 1 = \frac{x^2 - y^2}{y^2} = \frac{(x - y)(x + y)}{y^2}$
Now: $\frac{(y - x)/y}{(x^2 - y^2)/y^2} = \frac{y - x}{y} \cdot \frac{y^2}{x^2 - y^2}$
Note: $y - x = -(x - y)$, and $x^2 - y^2 = (x - y)(x + y)$
So: $\frac{-(x - y)}{y} \cdot \frac{y^2}{(x - y)(x + y)} = -\frac{y}{x + y}$
Final: $-\frac{y}{x + y}$
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⑩ $\frac{\frac{x - 3}{x^2 - 25}}{\frac{x^2 - 9}{x - 5}}$
First, simplify the complex fraction:
$\frac{x - 3}{x^2 - 25} \div \frac{x^2 - 9}{x - 5} = \frac{x - 3}{x^2 - 25} \cdot \frac{x - 5}{x^2 - 9}$
Now factor:
$x^2 - 25 = (x - 5)(x + 5)$
$x^2 - 9 = (x - 3)(x + 3)$
So:
$\frac{x - 3}{(x - 5)(x + 5)} \cdot \frac{x - 5}{(x - 3)(x + 3)}$
Cancel common terms:
$(x - 3)$ and $(x - 5)$ cancel
Left with: $\frac{1}{(x + 5)(x + 3)}$
Final: $\frac{1}{(x + 5)(x + 3)}$
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Final Answer:
① $\frac{5 - 2x}{x(x + 2)}$
② $\frac{xy(x + y)}{3y^2 + 5x^2}$
③ $\frac{z c (a y + b x)}{b y (a c + x z)}$
④ $\frac{3x}{x^3 + 2}$
⑤ $\frac{6acx + 4d}{6acx + 9d}$
⑥ $\frac{5a}{2(a + 2)}$
⑦ $\frac{x}{2 - 3x}$
⑧ $\frac{x + 1}{2x - 1}$
⑨ $-\frac{y}{x + y}$
⑩ $\frac{1}{(x + 5)(x + 3)}$
Let's simplify each complex fraction step by step.
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① $\frac{5 - 2x}{x^2 + 2x}$
Factor the denominator: $x^2 + 2x = x(x + 2)$
Numerator: $5 - 2x$ — no common factors with denominator
So the expression is: $\frac{5 - 2x}{x(x + 2)}$
No simplification possible.
Final: $\frac{5 - 2x}{x(x + 2)}$
---
② $\frac{xy(x + y)}{3y^2 + 5x^2}$
Numerator: $xy(x + y)$
Denominator: $3y^2 + 5x^2$ — cannot factor easily, and no common terms with numerator
No common factors
Final: $\frac{xy(x + y)}{3y^2 + 5x^2}$
---
③ $\frac{\frac{a}{b} + \frac{x}{y}}{\frac{a}{z} + \frac{x}{c}}$
This is a complex fraction. To simplify, multiply numerator and denominator by the least common denominator (LCD) of all the small fractions.
LCD of $b, y, z, c$ is $b y z c$
Multiply numerator and denominator by $b y z c$:
Numerator:
$\left(\frac{a}{b} + \frac{x}{y}\right) \cdot b y z c = a y z c + x b z c$
Denominator:
$\left(\frac{a}{z} + \frac{x}{c}\right) \cdot b y z c = a b y c + x b y z$
So the expression becomes:
$\frac{a y z c + x b z c}{a b y c + x b y z}$
Factor numerator and denominator:
Numerator: $z c (a y + x b)$
Denominator: $b y (a c + x z)$
So: $\frac{z c (a y + b x)}{b y (a c + x z)}$
No further simplification.
Final: $\frac{z c (a y + b x)}{b y (a c + x z)}$
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④ $\frac{\frac{1}{x} + \frac{2}{x}}{x + \frac{2}{x^2}}$
Simplify numerator: $\frac{1}{x} + \frac{2}{x} = \frac{3}{x}$
Denominator: $x + \frac{2}{x^2} = \frac{x^3 + 2}{x^2}$
Now: $\frac{3/x}{(x^3 + 2)/x^2} = \frac{3}{x} \cdot \frac{x^2}{x^3 + 2} = \frac{3x}{x^3 + 2}$
Final: $\frac{3x}{x^3 + 2}$
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⑤ $\frac{x + \frac{2d}{3ac}}{x + \frac{3d}{2ac}}$
Multiply numerator and denominator by $6ac$ (LCM of denominators 3ac and 2ac)
Numerator: $(x + \frac{2d}{3ac}) \cdot 6ac = 6ac \cdot x + 6ac \cdot \frac{2d}{3ac} = 6acx + 4d$
Denominator: $(x + \frac{3d}{2ac}) \cdot 6ac = 6acx + 6ac \cdot \frac{3d}{2ac} = 6acx + 9d$
So: $\frac{6acx + 4d}{6acx + 9d}$
No common factors, so this is simplified.
Final: $\frac{6acx + 4d}{6acx + 9d}$
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⑥ $\frac{5a}{2(a + 2)}$
Numerator: $5a$
Denominator: $2(a + 2)$
No common factors
Final: $\frac{5a}{2(a + 2)}$
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⑦ $\frac{x}{2 - 3x}$
This is already simplified.
No common factors.
Final: $\frac{x}{2 - 3x}$
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⑧ $\frac{\frac{x + 1}{3}}{\frac{2x - 1}{3}}$
Divide fractions: $\frac{x + 1}{3} \div \frac{2x - 1}{3} = \frac{x + 1}{3} \cdot \frac{3}{2x - 1} = \frac{x + 1}{2x - 1}$
Final: $\frac{x + 1}{2x - 1}$
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⑨ $\frac{1 - \frac{x}{y}}{\frac{x^2}{y^2} - 1}$
Simplify numerator: $1 - \frac{x}{y} = \frac{y - x}{y}$
Denominator: $\frac{x^2}{y^2} - 1 = \frac{x^2 - y^2}{y^2} = \frac{(x - y)(x + y)}{y^2}$
Now: $\frac{(y - x)/y}{(x^2 - y^2)/y^2} = \frac{y - x}{y} \cdot \frac{y^2}{x^2 - y^2}$
Note: $y - x = -(x - y)$, and $x^2 - y^2 = (x - y)(x + y)$
So: $\frac{-(x - y)}{y} \cdot \frac{y^2}{(x - y)(x + y)} = -\frac{y}{x + y}$
Final: $-\frac{y}{x + y}$
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⑩ $\frac{\frac{x - 3}{x^2 - 25}}{\frac{x^2 - 9}{x - 5}}$
First, simplify the complex fraction:
$\frac{x - 3}{x^2 - 25} \div \frac{x^2 - 9}{x - 5} = \frac{x - 3}{x^2 - 25} \cdot \frac{x - 5}{x^2 - 9}$
Now factor:
$x^2 - 25 = (x - 5)(x + 5)$
$x^2 - 9 = (x - 3)(x + 3)$
So:
$\frac{x - 3}{(x - 5)(x + 5)} \cdot \frac{x - 5}{(x - 3)(x + 3)}$
Cancel common terms:
$(x - 3)$ and $(x - 5)$ cancel
Left with: $\frac{1}{(x + 5)(x + 3)}$
Final: $\frac{1}{(x + 5)(x + 3)}$
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Final Answer:
① $\frac{5 - 2x}{x(x + 2)}$
② $\frac{xy(x + y)}{3y^2 + 5x^2}$
③ $\frac{z c (a y + b x)}{b y (a c + x z)}$
④ $\frac{3x}{x^3 + 2}$
⑤ $\frac{6acx + 4d}{6acx + 9d}$
⑥ $\frac{5a}{2(a + 2)}$
⑦ $\frac{x}{2 - 3x}$
⑧ $\frac{x + 1}{2x - 1}$
⑨ $-\frac{y}{x + y}$
⑩ $\frac{1}{(x + 5)(x + 3)}$
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of complex fraction worksheet.