(a)

When simplifying the left side, the in the numerator and denominator cancel each other out, resulting in . This gives you a simplified expression for which can be further translated into a mixed number for easier interpretation.

In mixed number form, is . This mix of fractions and whole numbers can be quite handy, especially in real-world scenarios such as measurement conversions or dividing resources where whole numbers are more practical. You’ve cracked the code of fractions!