How to Add and Subtract Fractions

Adding and subtracting fractions can seem difficult at first, but with a few simple steps, it can become much easier. Here's how to do it:

Adding Fractions:

Step 1: Find a common denominator To add fractions, you need to have a common denominator. That means you need to find a number that both denominators can be multiplied by to make them the same. For example, to add 1/3 and 1/4, you can use 12 as a common denominator because both 3 and 4 can be multiplied by 4 to equal 12.

Step 2: Convert the fractions Once you have a common denominator, you need to convert both fractions to have that denominator. To do this, you multiply both the numerator and the denominator by the same number. For example, to convert 1/3 to have a denominator of 12, you would multiply the numerator by 4 (4 x 1 = 4) and the denominator by 4 (4 x 3 = 12). So 1/3 becomes 4/12. To convert 1/4 to have a denominator of 12, you would multiply the numerator by 3 (3 x 1 = 3) and the denominator by 3 (3 x 4 = 12). So 1/4 becomes 3/12.

Step 3: Add the fractions Now that both fractions have the same denominator, you can add the numerators together and put the result over the common denominator. For example, to add 4/12 and 3/12, you add the numerators to get 7/12.

Step 4: Simplify the fraction (if needed) If possible, simplify the fraction by finding the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator and dividing both by that number. For example, if 7/12 can be simplified, you might find that the greatest common factor of 7 and 12 is 1, so you cannot simplify any further.

Subtracting Fractions:

Subtracting fractions follows a similar process, with one additional step:

Step 1: Find a common denominator (same as adding)

Step 2: Convert the fractions (same as adding)

Step 3: Subtract the fractions To subtract fractions, you subtract the numerators and put the result over the common denominator. For example, to subtract 1/3 from 1/2, you would find a common denominator of 6, convert 1/3 to 2/6 and 1/2 to 3/6, and then subtract 2/6 from 3/6 to get 1/6.

Step 4: Simplify the fraction (same as adding)

By following these steps, you should be able to add and subtract fractions with ease.