AddingandsubtractingfractionsAddingandsubtractingfractionsiseasierthanyoumightthink.Youjustneedtorememberthissimplemethod:Step1:

Makesurethedenominators(numbersonthebottom)arethesameonbothfractions.Dothisbyfindingthelowestcommonmultipleofbothdenominators.Forexamplewith:!!

+ !!Thelowestcommonmultipleof3and2is6.

Step2:

Thenmultiplybothdenominatorsuptothatnumber(ifindoubtjustmultiplythedenominatorsbyeachother).Makesureyouthenrememberthegoldenruleoffractions–whateveryoudotothedenominator,youmustalsodotothenumerator(thenumberoftop).Soyouneedtomultiplythenumeratorsbythesamenumberasthedenominator.

Intheexampleof!!

+ !!youhavemultipliedthe3by2togetto6andthe2

by3togetto6,soyouneedtodothesametothenumerators:

! × !! ×!

+ ! × !! × !

=Thisgives:26 +

36

Step3:

Thefinalstepisthensimplytoaddorsubtractacrossthenumerators.Sothefinalsumis:2+ 36 =

56

Rememberthatthemethodisexactlythesameforsubtractingfractions.Allyouneedtododifferentlyissubtractthenumeratorsatstep3.Usewhatyouhavelearntheretohaveagoatthepracticequestionsonthenextpage.

Addingandsubtractingfractions–practicequestions

1. !!+ !

!=

2. !!+ !

!=

3. !!+ !

!=

4. !!+ !

!=

5. !!+ !

!=

6. !!− !

!=

7. !!− !

!=

8. !!− !

!=