Math 221 - Ms. Sue, Sunday, July 13, 2014 at 2:24pm
I've done several problems for you. Now it's your turn.
How do you think this problem should be solved?
Answer this Question I was thinking that I should multiply the numerators and denominators
as with most problems involving fractions, work first with the denominators. They cannot be added or subtracted unless they all have the same denominator.
5/12 + 7/9
The GCD(12,9) = 36. So, what you have is
15/36 + 28/36
Now all the "units" are the same. Just as you cannot add apples and oranges, you cannot add twelfths and ninths. But you can add a bunch of 36ths. Since 15+28=43, the final answer is just 43/36.
Or, if you must, 1 7/36
To solve a problem that involves multiplying fractions, you can follow these steps:
1. Write down the two fractions that you need to multiply.
For example, let's say you have the fractions 2/3 and 5/7.
2. Multiply the numerators together.
In this case, multiply 2 and 5, which equals 10.
3. Multiply the denominators together.
Multiply 3 and 7, which equals 21.
4. Write the product of the numerators and denominators as a new fraction.
In this case, the product of the numerators is 10 and the product of the denominators is 21, so the new fraction is 10/21.
So, if you were asked to multiply 2/3 and 5/7, the answer would be 10/21.