Solution - Reducing fractions to their lowest terms

Step  1  :

            4
 Simplify   —
            3

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  1           4
  — • (-12 +  —)
  4           3

Step  2  :

Rewriting the whole as an Equivalent Fraction :

 2.1   Adding a fraction to a whole

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

            -12     -12 • 3
     -12 =  ———  =  ———————
             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:

 -12 • 3 + 4     -32
 ———————————  =  ———
      3           3 

Equation at the end of step  2  :

  1   -32
  — • ———
  4    3 

Step  3  :

            1
 Simplify   —
            4

Equation at the end of step  3  :

  1   -32
  — • ———
  4    3 

Step  4  :

Final result :

  -8            
  —— = -2.66667 
  3