Gone are the days when you had to solve fractions manually. Today, advanced tools have been developed that excel at performing automatic fraction computations. The digital aid that enables students to automate their fraction-solving process is called a fraction calculator.
There are many such efficient tools available online that simplify the fractions with high precision. No doubt the fraction calculators generate highly accurate results, but the accuracy doesn’t just depend on their efficiency but also on the way you use them.
Many students use these calculators incorrectly and fall victim to mistakes that most users make unintentionally or unknowingly. As a result, the calculations lead to wrong answers. In this article, we will discuss what common pitfalls you must avoid to accurately solve fractions using a proficient calculator for fractions. So, let’s get started.
Setting Incorrect Operation Mode
The most common blunder students commit while using fraction calculators is not setting the right operation mode. This often happens when they are in a rush and want to get the answer to a fractional problem quickly. Incorrect selection of the operations results in significantly distinct answers.
Therefore, when using a fraction calculator, make sure you choose the right operation mode. Usually, online calculators provide a dropdown button to let users ensure whether they are going to add, subtract, divide, or multiply fractions. So, after entering the values of numerators and denominators, verify that you have selected the operation that you want to perform.
Incorrect use of Negative Sign
A negative sign with a fraction is a major cause of confusion for learners. It not only hinders them in the manual calculations but also in the computations through a dedicated calculator. While using an online tool to solve negative fractions, students often get confused about where to place the negative sign.
Many make the mistake of putting the negative sign on the right side of the numerator, and others place it with the denominator. Remember, both these placements are wrong. Nearly all calculators process negative fractions when the negative sign is placed on the right side of the numerator. So, make sure you don’t place it anywhere else.
Entering Whole Numbers Incorrectly
Another mistake students make while using fraction calculators is entering the whole numbers incorrectly. In many fractional problems, you learn to deal with whole numbers alongside fractions. In such a situation, they often enter the whole number as it is in place of a numerator. Since they don’t see any denominator with a whole number, apparently, they insert 0 in place of the denominator in the calculator, which leads to wrong answers.
When dealing with such questions, you must remember that there is always 1 in the numerator of every whole number. So, the fractional form of every whole number will be equal to that number divided by 1, such as 2/1, 3/1, etc. So, using whole numbers in this form, you can get accurate answers from the calculators.
Forgetting To Further Reduce Results
Remember, not all fraction calculators are the same. They may be similar in applying the operations on fractions but may differ in presenting the answers. For instance, some may generate an answer that further needs manual simplifications. Similarly, there may be some that reduce the fraction to its lowest form but do not give the answer in decimal form.
So, if the results don’t meet your expectations, don’t consider them wrong. Rather, analyze the answer and check if it can match your required results if you simplify it further. For example, if the calculator gives you 12/18 as an answer, you can simplify it to get 2/3 and 0.67. So, don’t forget to reduce the results further when needed.
Inputting Mixed Numbers Wrongly
Incorrect inputting of mixed numbers is another common mistake that you may commit when using fraction calculators. Different calculators may require you to enter the mixed numbers in different ways. Some may demand you to separate the mixed numbers, while others may direct you to put them without any separation, such as 2.
Even that, some calculators may require you to separate the mixed numbers using a comma, while others may ask you to use a space like 3, and 7
. So, before entering the mixed numbers, make sure you read the instructions of the calculator you are using. It will help you simplify the fractions without any risk of inaccuracy in the results.
Wrapping Up
In short, you may set the wrong operation mode and input the whole number or mixed number incorrectly when using fraction calculators. Moreover, you may forget to reduce the results further and put the negative sign in the right place. However, by avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure that you generate accurate answers using fraction-calculators.org. Now that you are familiar with these common pitfalls, we hope that you will never commit them when using online tools to solve fractions.
