Compare 36/20 and 21/5
1st number: 1 16/20, 2nd number: 4 1/5
36/20 is smaller than 21/5
Steps for comparing fractions
- Find the least common denominator or LCM of the two denominators:
LCM of 20 and 5 is 20
Next, find the equivalent fraction of both fractional numbers with denominator 20 - For the 1st fraction, since 20 × 1 = 20,
36/20 = 36 × 1/20 × 1 = 36/20 - Likewise, for the 2nd fraction, since 5 × 4 = 20,
21/5 = 21 × 4/5 × 4 = 84/20 - Since the denominators are now the same, the fraction with the bigger numerator is the greater fraction
- 36/20 < 84/20 or 36/20 < 21/5
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