When multiplying two fractions together, what is the first step?

When multiplying two fractions, the first and essential step is to multiply the numerators together. This involves taking the numerator of the first fraction and multiplying it by the numerator of the second fraction. This step is crucial because it sets the stage for determining the product of the fractions.

After multiplying the numerators, the next step would involve multiplying the denominators, resulting in a new fraction formed by the product of both numerators over the product of both denominators. Finding a common denominator, adding the fractions, or determining the least common multiple are all techniques related to operations with fractions, but they do not apply to the multiplication of fractions. Multiplication doesn’t require finding common denominators or adding, making the multiplication of the numerators the clear and correct first step.