What is the rule for adding or subtracting fractions?
The rule for adding or subtracting fractions requires the fractions to have the same denominator. Follow these steps:
1. If the fractions have different denominators, find the Least Common Denominator (LCD) by identifying the smallest number that both denominators divide into evenly.
2. Rewrite each fraction so that it has the LCD as its denominator. To do this, multiply the numerator and denominator of each fraction by a factor that makes the denominator equal to the LCD.
3. Once the fractions have the same denominator, you can add or subtract the numerators and keep the denominator the same.
4. Simplify the resulting fraction, if possible, by reducing it to the lowest terms.
5. If needed, convert the fraction to a mixed number or decimal.
Remember to follow these steps every time you want to add or subtract fractions.
The rule for adding or subtracting fractions is to first make sure that the denominators (the bottom numbers) of the fractions are the same. If they are not the same, you need to find a common denominator by finding the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Find the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators. This is the smallest number that both denominators evenly divide into. For example, if you have fractions with denominators of 3 and 4, the LCM is 12.
2. Once you have the common denominator, you need to adjust the numerators (the top numbers) accordingly. To do this, multiply the numerator and denominator of each fraction by the same number that was used to find the common denominator. This will give you equivalent fractions that have the same denominator. For example, if you have the fraction 1/3 and the fraction 5/4, you would multiply 1/3 by 4/4 (which equals 4/12) and 5/4 by 3/3 (which equals 15/12).
3. Now that you have fractions with the same denominator, you can add or subtract the numerators. For addition, simply add the numerators together and keep the common denominator. For subtraction, subtract the numerators and keep the common denominator. Using the example from before, 4/12 + 15/12 equals 19/12, and 5/12 - 3/12 equals 2/12.
4. Simplify the resulting fraction, if necessary, by dividing the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD). In the examples given, 19/12 can be simplified to 1 7/12, and 2/12 can be simplified to 1/6.
So, the rule for adding or subtracting fractions is to find a common denominator, adjust the numerators, perform the addition or subtraction, and simplify the fraction if needed.