Adding and Subtracting Rational Numbers

Front

What is a rational number?

Back

A rational number is any number that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction of two integers, where the denominator is not zero.

Front

How do you add two rational numbers with the same sign?

Back

When adding two rational numbers with the same sign, you add their absolute values and keep the common sign.

Front

How do you add two rational numbers with different signs?

Back

When adding two rational numbers with different signs, you subtract the smaller absolute value from the larger absolute value and take the sign of the number with the larger absolute value.

Front

What is the process for subtracting rational numbers?

Back

To subtract rational numbers, you can add the first number to the opposite (or additive inverse) of the second number.

Front

What is the additive inverse of a rational number?

Back

The additive inverse of a rational number is the number that, when added to the original number, results in zero.

Front

What is the least common denominator (LCD) and why is it important?

Back

The least common denominator is the smallest multiple that two or more denominators share. It is important for adding or subtracting fractions with different denominators.

Front

How do you find the least common denominator of two fractions?

Back

To find the least common denominator, list the multiples of each denominator and identify the smallest multiple that appears in both lists.

Front

What is the first step in adding or subtracting fractions?

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The first step is to ensure that the fractions have a common denominator.

Front

What happens when you add or subtract rational numbers and the result is an improper fraction?

Back

If the result is an improper fraction, you can convert it to a mixed number by dividing the numerator by the denominator.

Front

What is a mixed number?

Back

A mixed number is a whole number combined with a proper fraction.