How to Add Fractions: Steps and Examples
Adding fractions is a usual math operation that students learn in school. It can appear daunting at first, but it can be simple with a tiny bit of practice.
This blog post will take you through 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 essential for several subjects as you move ahead in science and mathematics, so be sure to learn these skills initially!
The Steps of Adding Fractions
Adding fractions is an ability that a lot of children have difficulty with. Nevertheless, it is a moderately simple process once you master the essential principles. There are three main steps to adding fractions: determining a common denominator, adding the numerators, and simplifying the answer. Let’s closely study each of these steps, and then we’ll do some examples.
Step 1: Finding a Common Denominator
With these helpful tips, you’ll be adding fractions like a expert in no time! The initial step is to determine a common denominator for the two fractions you are adding. The smallest common denominator is the minimum number that both fractions will split uniformly.
If the fractions you want to sum share the identical denominator, you can avoid this step. If not, to determine the common denominator, you can list out the factors of each number until you look for a common one.
For example, let’s say we desire to add the fractions 1/3 and 1/6. The smallest common denominator for these two fractions is six because both denominators will split evenly 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 would be 18.
Step Two: Adding the Numerators
Once you have the common denominator, the following step is to turn each fraction so that it has that denominator.
To convert these into an equivalent fraction with an identical denominator, you will multiply both the denominator and numerator by the exact number needed to get the common denominator.
Subsequently the previous example, 6 will become the common denominator. To change the numerators, we will multiply 1/3 by 2 to attain 2/6, while 1/6 will remain the same.
Now that both the fractions share common denominators, we can add the numerators collectively to attain 3/6, a proper fraction that we will be moving forward to simplify.
Step Three: Streamlining the Answers
The final process is to simplify the fraction. Doing so means we need to reduce the fraction to its minimum terms. To obtain this, we search for 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 final answer of 1/2.
You go by the exact procedure to add and subtract fractions.
Examples of How to Add Fractions
Now, let’s continue to add these two fractions:
2/4 + 6/4
By utilizing the procedures mentioned above, you will observe that they share identical denominators. You are lucky, this means you can skip the first step. At the moment, all you have to do is sum of the numerators and let it be the same denominator as it was.
2/4 + 6/4 = 8/4
Now, let’s attempt to simplify the fraction. We can see that this is an improper fraction, as the numerator is higher than the denominator. This could suggest that you could simplify the fraction, but this is not feasible when we work 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 final answer of 2 by dividing the numerator and denominator by two.
Provided that you follow these steps when dividing two or more fractions, you’ll be a professional at adding fractions in a matter of time.
Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators
This process will require 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 mentioned prior to this, to add unlike fractions, you must obey all three procedures mentioned above to transform these unlike denominators into equivalent fractions
Examples of How to Add Fractions with Unlike Denominators
At this point, we will concentrate on another example by summing up the following fractions:
1/6+2/3+6/4
As you can see, the denominators are different, and the smallest common multiple is 12. Therefore, we multiply every fraction by a number to attain the denominator of 12.
1/6 * 2 = 2/12
2/3 * 4 = 8/12
6/4 * 3 = 18/12
Now that all the fractions have a common denominator, we will go forward to add the numerators:
2/12 + 8/12 + 18/12 = 28/12
We simplify the fraction by splitting the numerator and denominator by 4, finding a ultimate answer of 7/3.
Adding Mixed Numbers
We have talked about like and unlike fractions, but presently we will revise through mixed fractions. These are fractions accompanied by whole numbers.
The Steps to Adding Mixed Numbers
To solve addition problems with mixed numbers, you must initiate by changing 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
Note down your answer as a numerator and keep the denominator.
Now, you proceed by adding these unlike fractions as you generally would.
Examples of How to Add Mixed Numbers
As an example, we will work with 1 3/4 + 5/4.
First, let’s change the mixed number into a fraction. You will need to multiply the whole number by the denominator, which is 4. 1 = 4/4
Thereafter, add the whole number described 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 similar denominator, we will have a ultimate result of 12/4. We simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 4, resulting in 3 as a final result.
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