How to Add Fractions: Steps and Examples
Adding fractions is a regular math operation that students learn in school. It can look scary at first, but it becomes simple with a bit of practice.
This blog article will guide the steps of adding two or more fractions and adding mixed fractions. We will also provide examples to demonstrate how this is done. Adding fractions is necessary for several subjects as you advance in mathematics and science, so be sure to master these skills initially!
The Procedures for Adding Fractions
Adding fractions is a skill that numerous kids have difficulty with. Nevertheless, it is a moderately simple process once you understand the essential principles. There are three major steps to adding fractions: determining a common denominator, adding the numerators, and simplifying the answer. Let’s take a closer look at each of these steps, and then we’ll look into some examples.
Step 1: Finding a Common Denominator
With these useful points, you’ll be adding fractions like a pro in no time! The first step is to look for a common denominator for the two fractions you are adding. The least common denominator is the minimum number that both fractions will share equally.
If the fractions you desire to add share the same denominator, you can skip this step. If not, to determine the common denominator, you can list out the factors of each number until you find a common one.
For example, let’s say we desire to add the fractions 1/3 and 1/6. The lowest common denominator for these two fractions is six in view of the fact that both denominators will divide uniformly into that number.
Here’s a quick tip: if you are unsure about this process, you can multiply both denominators, and you will [[also|subsequently80] get a common denominator, which would be 18.
Step Two: Adding the Numerators
Once you have the common denominator, the immediate step is to change each fraction so that it has that denominator.
To change these into an equivalent fraction with the same denominator, you will multiply both the denominator and numerator by the identical number needed to get the common denominator.
Following the previous example, six will become the common denominator. To convert the numerators, we will multiply 1/3 by 2 to achieve 2/6, while 1/6 will remain the same.
Considering that both the fractions share common denominators, we can add the numerators collectively to achieve 3/6, a proper fraction that we will be moving forward to simplify.
Step Three: Streamlining the Answers
The last step is to simplify the fraction. Consequently, it means we need to reduce the fraction to its minimum terms. To accomplish this, we look for the most common factor of the numerator and denominator and divide them by it. In our example, the greatest common factor of 3 and 6 is 3. When we divide both numbers by 3, we get the final answer of 1/2.
You go by the same steps to add and subtract fractions.
Examples of How to Add Fractions
Now, let’s proceed to add these two fractions:
2/4 + 6/4
By applying the steps above, you will see that they share the same denominators. Lucky for you, this means you can avoid the first stage. At the moment, all you have to do is sum of the numerators and allow it to be the same denominator as before.
2/4 + 6/4 = 8/4
Now, let’s try to simplify the fraction. We can notice that this is an improper fraction, as the numerator is higher than the denominator. This might suggest that you could simplify the fraction, but this is not feasible when we work with proper and improper fractions.
In this example, the numerator and denominator can be divided by 4, its most common denominator. You will get a final answer of 2 by dividing the numerator and denominator by two.
As long as you follow these procedures when dividing two or more fractions, you’ll be a pro at adding fractions in matter of days.
Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
The procedure will need an additional step when you add or subtract fractions with dissimilar denominators. To do these operations with two or more fractions, they must have the exact denominator.
The Steps to Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
As we stated before this, to add unlike fractions, you must follow all three steps mentioned above to transform these unlike denominators into equivalent fractions
Examples of How to Add Fractions with Unlike Denominators
At this point, we will focus on another example by summing up the following fractions:
1/6+2/3+6/4
As you can see, the denominators are distinct, and the smallest common multiple is 12. Therefore, we multiply every fraction by a number to get the denominator of 12.
1/6 * 2 = 2/12
2/3 * 4 = 8/12
6/4 * 3 = 18/12
Considering that all the fractions have a common denominator, we will proceed to total the numerators:
2/12 + 8/12 + 18/12 = 28/12
We simplify the fraction by splitting the numerator and denominator by 4, concluding with a ultimate answer of 7/3.
Adding Mixed Numbers
We have discussed like and unlike fractions, but presently we will touch upon mixed fractions. These are fractions accompanied by whole numbers.
The Steps to Adding Mixed Numbers
To figure out addition sums with mixed numbers, you must start by converting the mixed number into a fraction. Here are the procedures and keep reading for an example.
Step 1
Multiply the whole number by the numerator
Step 2
Add that number to the numerator.
Step 3
Take down your result as a numerator and keep the denominator.
Now, you go ahead by adding these unlike fractions as you generally would.
Examples of How to Add Mixed Numbers
As an example, we will work out 1 3/4 + 5/4.
Foremost, let’s transform the mixed number into a fraction. You are required to multiply the whole number by the denominator, which is 4. 1 = 4/4
Next, add the whole number described as a fraction to the other fraction in the mixed number.
4/4 + 3/4 = 7/4
You will end up with this operation:
7/4 + 5/4
By adding the numerators with the same denominator, we will have a conclusive answer of 12/4. We simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 4, ensuing in 3 as a final answer.
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