Solution - Reducing fractions to their lowest terms

Step  1  :

            5
 Simplify   —
            2

Equation at the end of step  1  :

          5                 
  (8 +  ((— -  2) • 16)) -  4
          2                 

Step  2  :

Rewriting the whole as an Equivalent Fraction :

 2.1   Subtracting a whole from a fraction

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

         2     2 • 2
    2 =  —  =  —————
         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 :

 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:

 5 - (2 • 2)     1
 ———————————  =  —
      2          2

Equation at the end of step  2  :

         1           
  (8 +  (— • 16)) -  4
         2           
 Step  3  :

Final result :

  12