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    Add and Subtract Fractions

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    Mathnasium of Bentonville
    How to add or subtract like fractions; using LCM to find common denominator to add or subtract unlike fractions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Add and Subtract Fractions

    Uploaded by

    Mathnasium of Bentonville
    35 views3 pages
    How to add or subtract like fractions; using LCM to find common denominator to add or subtract unlike fractions.

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    How to add or subtract like fractions; using LCM to find common denominator to add or subtract unlike fractions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    35 views3 pages

    Add and Subtract Fractions

    Uploaded by

    Mathnasium of Bentonville
    How to add or subtract like fractions; using LCM to find common denominator to add or subtract unlike fractions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Adding and Subtracting Like Fractions

    Fractions with the same denominator are called like fractions.


    2 3
    Ex: and are like fractions.
    5 5
    2 3
    and are unlike fractions.
    3 4

    To Add or Subtract Like Fractions:


    Add or subtract the numerators (top numbers).
    Keep the common denominator.
    Simplify.

    Examples:
    Add or subtract as indicated:

    3 1 15 5 15 3
    + − −
    8 8 3 3 16 16
    3+1 4 1 15−5 10 15−3 12 3
    = = = = =
    8 8 2 3 3 16 16 4

    Least Common Multiples

    The least common multiple (LCM) of two whole numbers is the smallest whole number divisible
    by both those numbers. We will use this to find the Least Common Denominator-- the smallest
    whole number which the two numbers can go into.

    Examples: Find the LCM of 6 and 9.

    List the first several multiples of 9 (the larger number).


    Find the smallest number from the list that can be divided by 6 (that 6 can go into).

    9×1=9 (6 can’t go into 9)


    9×2=18 (6 can go into 18, this is the LCM)

    *We can divide 18 by 6, so the LCM is 18.

    Find the LCM of 12 and 20.


    Divisible by 12?
    20x1=20 No
    20x2=40 No
    20x3=60 Yes
    LCM = 60
    Find the LCM of 6, 15, and 18.
    Divisible by 6? Divisible by 15?
    18x1=18 Yes No
    18x2=36 Yes No
    18x3=54 Yes No
    18x4=72 Yes No
    18x5=90 Yes Yes
    LCM = 90

    Adding and Subtracting Unlike Fractions

    Fractions MUST be like fractions in order to add or subtract them. We must rewrite unlike
    fractions, so that they become like fractions (same denominator).

    To Add or Subtract Unlike Fractions:


    Find the LCM of the denominators. Rewrite the fractions as like fractions with the LCM as the
    denominator. Multiply the numerators by the number that you multiplied the denominator by
    to get the new denominator. The new denominator is called the least common denominator
    (LCD). Add or subtract the like fractions as before.

    2 1
    Examples: + LCD: 36
    9 4
    + Rewrite fractions with the LCD
    36 36
    2 4 8 1 9 9
    ∙ = ∙ = Multiply the first fraction by 4 (9x4=36)
    9 4 36 4 9 36
    Multiply the second fraction by 9 (4x9=36)
    8 9 17
    + = Add the numerators, keep the denominator
    36 36 36

    4 3
    −
    5 4
    − Rewrite fractions with the LCD
    20 20
    4 4 16 3 5 15
    ∙ = ∙ = Multiply the first fraction by 4 (5x4=20)
    5 4 20 4 5 20
    Multiply the second fraction by 5 (4x5=20)
    16 15 1
    − = Add the numerators, keep the denominator
    20 20 20

    2
    3

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