Question

How do you simplify `-1/9 + (-5/6)`?

Answer 1

`-17/18`

Explanation:

Begin by removing the parenthesis:

`-1/9+` `-5/6`

Simplify:

`-1/9-5/6`

Subtract by first finding the `"Least common denominator"` or `"LCD"` We can do this by listing out the multiples of `9` and `6` and finding the smallest number that they both have in common:

`color(red)6: 6, 12, color(blue)18`

`color(red)9: 9, color(blue)18, 27`

The LCD is `18`

Now we must make the denominators the same in order to subtract. Also, what we do to the denominator, we must also do to the numerator.

`-[1/9(2/2)]-[5/6(3/3)]`

`-2/18-15/18`

We can now rewrite the expression above as...

`(-2-15)/18`

...and subtract which yields

`-17/18`