( 92 ) 
as in the laft example, thus: Suppofe the 
two fractions to be and 4; reduced to the 
fame denomination, they become {4 and -4; 
the numerators of which being fubtracted 
from each other, the remaining fraction is 
j-j- 
4 
You remember that, in thefe vulgar frac- 
tions, the under figure tells you the parts 
into which the upper figure is fuppofed to 
be divided, and the upper figure indicates 
the number of thefe parts : the denominator 
therefore is confidered as the devifor and the 
numerator as the dividend. But you will 
afk, how can a lefs number be divided by a 
greater, a 7 by 8, or 3 by 5, or i by 2? 
Would you find any difficulty in cutting 
this orange in two? No Well: What are 
thefe two pieces? They are two halves. 
Then it is evident that i orange may be di- 
vided into, or by, 2, and that ~ would exprefs 
one of thefe halves: to halve a number 
therefore is to divide it by 2. 
But to render this numerator i actually 
divifible by the denominator 2, let us fup- 
pofe it to confift of ten equal parts: we 
therefore add a cypher to it and call it 10 
parts inftead of i whole number. I now 
write the fraction V 3 that is, 10 divided by 
