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Simplify the following expression:

−1/4+−3/5=

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Please enter your answer as a FRACTION. Please do not enter a decimal value.

(1 point)

1 answer

To simplify the expression \(-\frac{1}{4} + -\frac{3}{5}\), we first need to find a common denominator. The denominators here are 4 and 5. The least common denominator (LCD) is 20.

Now, we convert each fraction to have the common denominator of 20:

  1. Convert \(-\frac{1}{4}\): \[ -\frac{1}{4} = -\frac{1 \times 5}{4 \times 5} = -\frac{5}{20} \]

  2. Convert \(-\frac{3}{5}\): \[ -\frac{3}{5} = -\frac{3 \times 4}{5 \times 4} = -\frac{12}{20} \]

Now we can add the two fractions: \[ -\frac{5}{20} + -\frac{12}{20} = -\frac{5 + 12}{20} = -\frac{17}{20} \]

So, the simplified expression is: \[ \boxed{-\frac{17}{20}} \]