Solution - Reducing fractions to their lowest terms

Step  1  :

            1
 Simplify   —
            3

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  1    
  — -  9
  3    

Step  2  :

Rewriting the whole as an Equivalent Fraction :

 2.1   Subtracting a whole from a fraction

Rewrite the whole as a fraction using  3  as the denominator :

         9     9 • 3
    9 =  —  =  —————
         1       3  

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 :

 2.2       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:

 1 - (9 • 3)     -26
 ———————————  =  ———
      3           3 

Final result :

  -26            
  ——— = -8.66667 
   3