working with fractions

[Dan Ripley]

Hello, just wondering if there was an way to simplfy fractions, for example 34/21 or 8/2, and ideas?? I always thought calculators were meant to make things easier??

[Dan Ripley]

Also is there a way of entering fractions along the lines of 3/4/8 (three and four eigths) or -5/9/10 ( negative 5 and nine tenths)

[Sam Levy]

On the HP33S the decimal point serves to delineate the whole number and fractions on entry. See the lessons below.
http://h20331.www2.hp.com/hpsub/cache/301034-0-0-225-121.html

[Karl Schneider]

Quote:

---

On the HP33S the decimal point serves to delineate the whole number and fractions on entry. See the lessons below. http://h20331.www2.hp.com/hpsub/cache/301034-0-0-225-121.html

---

Both the HP-32SII and HP-33S are the only (RPN-based, at least) HP models that have this capability. It's actually quite good, in that the closest fractional approximation (having a denominator no greater than 4096) to a floating-point value can be produced.

-- KS

[Thor Lansen]

The HP41C, CV, CX with the PPC ROM allows you to work with fractions. I believe that with the HP15C you are out of luck. Sorry Karl.

Regards, Thor

[Dan Ripley]

sorry I forgot to mention im using the HP 50g, thanks for the reply though

[Christoph Widmer]

Hi Dan, the HP 50g can indeed do fractions. Do do what I presume you want to do, first set the calculator to symbolic mode (Press the "MODE" key, select "CAS", and have both "Numeric" and "Approx" unchecked). A simple example (in RPN, but works analogously in algebraic): 10 ENTER 6 Divide --> '5/3'. 7 ENTER 12 Divide --> '7/12', then Add --> '5/3 + 7/12'. Press EVAL yields '9/4'. For further information see also the User's Guide, pages 5-23 ff.

I hope this helps. Good luck and best regards.

[Christoph Widmer]

Dan, I just remembered that HP has a training module on fractions for the HP 50g, here it is: http://h20331.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/downloads/50gWorking_with_fractions.pdf

I think this explains things well. There is quite a number of other training modules as well, I found them very helpful.

Best regards again. Chris.