How to Add Fractions: Examples and Steps
Adding fractions is a usual math problem that children study in school. It can appear scary at first, but it becomes easy with a tiny bit of practice.
This blog article will guide the process of adding two or more fractions and adding mixed fractions. We will also provide examples to see how this is done. Adding fractions is essential for a lot of subjects as you progress in science and math, so be sure to adopt these skills initially!
The Steps of Adding Fractions
Adding fractions is a skill that many kids struggle with. However, it is a relatively simple process once you understand the basic principles. There are three major steps to adding fractions: looking for a common denominator, adding the numerators, and streamlining the results. Let’s closely study every one of these steps, and then we’ll do some examples.
Step 1: Finding a Common Denominator
With these helpful points, you’ll be adding fractions like a expert in no time! The first step is to find a common denominator for the two fractions you are adding. The least common denominator is the lowest number that both fractions will split equally.
If the fractions you want to add share the equal denominator, you can skip this step. If not, to find the common denominator, you can determine the amount of the factors of each number as far as you look for a common one.
For example, let’s say we want 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 equally into that number.
Here’s a good tip: if you are not sure about this process, you can multiply both denominators, and you will [[also|subsequently80] get a common denominator, which should be 18.
Step Two: Adding the Numerators
Now that you acquired the common denominator, the following step is to change each fraction so that it has that denominator.
To turn these into an equivalent fraction with the exact denominator, you will multiply both the denominator and numerator by the identical number required to attain the common denominator.
Following the last example, six will become the common denominator. To convert the numerators, we will multiply 1/3 by 2 to attain 2/6, while 1/6 would remain the same.
Now 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 process is to simplify the fraction. Doing so means we need to diminish the fraction to its lowest terms. To accomplish this, we find the most common factor of the numerator and denominator and divide them by it. In our example, the biggest common factor of 3 and 6 is 3. When we divide both numbers by 3, we get the concluding answer of 1/2.
You go by the exact 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 procedures mentioned above, you will observe that they share identical denominators. You are lucky, this means you can skip the first stage. At the moment, all you have to do is sum of the numerators and let it be the same denominator as before.
2/4 + 6/4 = 8/4
Now, let’s try to simplify the fraction. We can perceive that this is an improper fraction, as the numerator is higher than the denominator. This could suggest that you can simplify the fraction, but this is not necessarily the case with proper and improper fractions.
In this instance, the numerator and denominator can be divided by 4, its most common denominator. You will get a conclusive answer of 2 by dividing the numerator and denominator by two.
Considering you follow these steps when dividing two or more fractions, you’ll be a pro at adding fractions in a matter of time.
Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
The procedure will need an supplementary step when you add or subtract fractions with dissimilar denominators. To do these operations with two or more fractions, they must have the same denominator.
The Steps to Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
As we stated above, to add unlike fractions, you must obey all three procedures stated above to transform these unlike denominators into equivalent fractions
Examples of How to Add Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Here, we will focus on another example by summing up the following fractions:
1/6+2/3+6/4
As shown, the denominators are distinct, and the lowest common multiple is 12. Thus, we multiply each fraction by a value 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 move ahead 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 final result of 7/3.
Adding Mixed Numbers
We have mentioned like and unlike fractions, but now we will touch upon mixed fractions. These are fractions accompanied by whole numbers.
The Steps to Adding Mixed Numbers
To figure out addition exercises with mixed numbers, you must initiate 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 answer as a numerator and retain the denominator.
Now, you proceed by adding these unlike fractions as you usually would.
Examples of How to Add Mixed Numbers
As an example, we will work out 1 3/4 + 5/4.
Foremost, let’s change the mixed number into a fraction. You are required to multiply the whole number by the denominator, which is 4. 1 = 4/4
Thereafter, add the whole number represented as a fraction to the other fraction in the mixed number.
4/4 + 3/4 = 7/4
You will conclude with this result:
7/4 + 5/4
By adding the numerators with the same denominator, we will have a conclusive result of 12/4. We simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 4, resulting in 3 as a final answer.
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