Adding and Subtracting Fractions

Front

What is a fraction?

Back

A fraction represents a part of a whole and is written as 'a/b', where 'a' is the numerator (part) and 'b' is the denominator (whole).

Front

What does it mean to add fractions?

Back

Adding fractions means combining the parts represented by the fractions. If the denominators are the same, add the numerators and keep the denominator.

Front

What does it mean to subtract fractions?

Back

Subtracting fractions means finding the difference between the parts represented by the fractions. If the denominators are the same, subtract the numerators and keep the denominator.

Front

How do you add fractions with the same denominator?

Back

Add the numerators together and keep the same denominator. For example, 1/4 + 2/4 = (1+2)/4 = 3/4.

Front

How do you subtract fractions with the same denominator?

Back

Subtract the numerators and keep the same denominator. For example, 3/5 - 1/5 = (3-1)/5 = 2/5.

Front

What is the first step in adding fractions with different denominators?

Back

Find a common denominator for both fractions.

Front

What is a common denominator?

Back

A common denominator is a number that is a multiple of the denominators of the fractions being added or subtracted.

Front

How do you find a common denominator for 1/3 and 1/4?

Back

The least common multiple of 3 and 4 is 12, so the common denominator is 12.

Front

What is the sum of 1/3 and 1/4?

Back

To add 1/3 and 1/4, convert them to have a common denominator: 1/3 = 4/12 and 1/4 = 3/12. Then, 4/12 + 3/12 = 7/12.

Front

What is the difference of 6/8 and 4/8?

Back

6/8 - 4/8 = (6-4)/8 = 2/8, which simplifies to 1/4.