Multiply two negative fractions.
Check the final answer first, then review the worked steps.
Problem
Multiply two negative fractions.
Answer
\(\frac{4}{5}\)
Step-by-step solution
- Identify the operation: The problem asks to multiply two fractions: $$(-\frac{4}{3}) \cdot (-\frac{3}{5})$$.
- Determine the sign of the product: When multiplying two negative numbers, the result is positive. So, the product of $$(-\frac{4}{3})$$ and $$(-\frac{3}{5})$$ will be positive.
- Multiply the numerators: Multiply the top numbers of the fractions: $4 \times 3 = 12$.
- Multiply the denominators: Multiply the bottom numbers of the fractions: $3 \times 5 = 15$.
- Form the resulting fraction: Combine the results from steps 3 and 4 to get the fraction $$\frac{12}{15}$$.
- Simplify the fraction: Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator (12) and the denominator (15). The GCD of 12 and 15 is 3.
- Divide both numerator and denominator by the GCD: Divide 12 by 3 to get 4, and divide 15 by 3 to get 5. This gives the simplified fraction $$\frac{4}{5}$$.
- Write the final answer: The product of $$(-\frac{4}{3}) \cdot (-\frac{3}{5})$$ in simplest form is $$\frac{4}{5}$$.