How to Add Fractions: Steps and Examples

Adding fractions is a common math operation that children learn in school. It can look scary initially, but it becomes easy with a tiny bit of practice.

This blog article will walk you through the procedure of adding two or more fractions and adding mixed fractions. We will also give examples to see how it is done. Adding fractions is essential for a lot of subjects as you advance in math and science, so make sure to learn these skills early!

The Process of Adding Fractions

Adding fractions is an ability that many children have difficulty with. Despite that, it is a relatively hassle-free process once you grasp the basic principles. There are three primary steps to adding fractions: determining a common denominator, adding the numerators, and simplifying the answer. Let’s take a closer look at every one of these steps, and then we’ll look into some examples.

Step 1: Finding a Common Denominator

With these valuable tips, you’ll be adding fractions like a pro in an instant! The initial step is to determine a common denominator for the two fractions you are adding. The smallest common denominator is the lowest number that both fractions will share evenly.

If the fractions you desire to sum share the identical denominator, you can skip this step. If not, to find the common denominator, you can determine the number of the factors of respective number until you find a common one.

For example, let’s say we want to add the fractions 1/3 and 1/6. The smallest common denominator for these two fractions is six because both denominators will split uniformly into that number.

Here’s a great tip: if you are not sure about this process, you can multiply both denominators, and you will [[also|subsequently80] get a common denominator, which would be 18.

Step Two: Adding the Numerators

Once you have the common denominator, the next step is to change each fraction so that it has that denominator.

To turn these into an equivalent fraction with the same denominator, you will multiply both the denominator and numerator by the same number needed to get the common denominator.

Following the previous example, six will become the common denominator. To convert the numerators, we will multiply 1/3 by 2 to attain 2/6, while 1/6 would stay the same.

Considering that both the fractions share common denominators, we can add the numerators together to achieve 3/6, a proper fraction that we will continue to simplify.

Step Three: Streamlining the Answers

The final step is to simplify the fraction. Doing so means we are required to reduce the fraction to its lowest terms. To accomplish this, we look for the most common factor of the numerator and denominator and divide them by it. In our example, the biggest common factor of 3 and 6 is 3. When we divide both numbers by 3, we get the concluding result of 1/2.

You follow the same procedure to add and subtract fractions.

Examples of How to Add Fractions

Now, let’s move forward to add these two fractions:

2/4 + 6/4

By applying the process shown above, you will notice that they share equivalent denominators. You are lucky, this means you can avoid the initial step. At the moment, all you have to do is add the numerators and let it be the same denominator as before.

2/4 + 6/4 = 8/4

Now, let’s attempt to simplify the fraction. We can perceive that this is an improper fraction, as the numerator is larger than the denominator. This might indicate that you can simplify the fraction, but this is not necessarily the case with proper and improper fractions.

In this example, the numerator and denominator can be divided by 4, its most common denominator. You will get a final result of 2 by dividing the numerator and denominator by two.

Provided that you follow these steps when dividing two or more fractions, you’ll be a pro at adding fractions in matter of days.

Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators

This process will require an extra step when you add or subtract fractions with different denominators. To do these operations with two or more fractions, they must have the identical denominator.

The Steps to Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators

As we stated above, to add unlike fractions, you must obey all three steps stated prior to change these unlike denominators into equivalent fractions

Examples of How to Add Fractions with Unlike Denominators

Here, we will focus on another example by summing up the following fractions:

1/6+2/3+6/4

As demonstrated, the denominators are dissimilar, and the lowest common multiple is 12. Thus, we multiply each fraction by a number to get the denominator of 12.

1/6 * 2 = 2/12

2/3 * 4 = 8/12

6/4 * 3 = 18/12

Once all the fractions have a common denominator, we will move ahead to add the numerators:

2/12 + 8/12 + 18/12 = 28/12

We simplify the fraction by dividing the numerator and denominator by 4, finding a ultimate result of 7/3.

Adding Mixed Numbers

We have talked about like and unlike fractions, but presently we will revise through mixed fractions. These are fractions accompanied by whole numbers.

The Steps to Adding Mixed Numbers

To solve addition sums with mixed numbers, you must start by turning the mixed number into a fraction. Here are the procedures and keep reading for an example.

Step 1

Multiply the whole number by the numerator

Step 2

Add that number to the numerator.

Step 3

Take down your answer as a numerator and retain the denominator.

Now, you go ahead by adding these unlike fractions as you generally would.

Examples of How to Add Mixed Numbers

As an example, we will solve 1 3/4 + 5/4.

Foremost, let’s convert the mixed number into a fraction. You are required to multiply the whole number by the denominator, which is 4. 1 = 4/4

Next, add the whole number represented as a fraction to the other fraction in the mixed number.

4/4 + 3/4 = 7/4

You will conclude with this operation:

7/4 + 5/4

By summing the numerators with the similar denominator, we will have a conclusive answer of 12/4. We simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 4, resulting in 3 as a conclusive answer.

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