Properties and Operations of Fractions:

Where a, b, c, and d are real numbers, variables, or algebraic expressions and b, d ≠0

𝒂𝒂 𝒄𝒄
Equivalent Fractions: = 𝒅𝒅 if and only if 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂 = 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃
𝒃𝒃
𝟏𝟏 𝟐𝟐
Example: = 𝟒𝟒 because (𝟏𝟏) ∗ (𝟒𝟒) = (𝟐𝟐) ∗ (𝟐𝟐)
𝟐𝟐

𝒂𝒂 −𝒂𝒂 𝒂𝒂 −𝒂𝒂 𝒂𝒂
Rules of Signs: − 𝒃𝒃 = = −𝒃𝒃 and −𝒃𝒃 = 𝒃𝒃
𝒃𝒃

𝒂𝒂 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂
Generate Equivalent Fractions: = 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃 , 𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘𝒘 𝒄𝒄 ≠ 𝟎𝟎
𝒃𝒃
𝒙𝒙 (𝒙𝒙)(𝟑𝟑) 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑
Example: 𝟐𝟐
= (𝟐𝟐)(𝟑𝟑) = 𝟔𝟔

𝒂𝒂 𝒄𝒄 𝒂𝒂±𝒄𝒄
Add or Subtract with like denominators: ± 𝒃𝒃 =
𝒃𝒃 𝒃𝒃
𝟏𝟏 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓 𝟏𝟏+𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓
Example: + =
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐

𝒂𝒂 𝒄𝒄 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂 𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂±𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄

Add or Subtract with unlike denominators: ± 𝒅𝒅 = 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃 ± 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃 =
𝒃𝒃 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃
(find a common denominator by multiplying top and bottom of each part by the other part’s denominator.)

𝟏𝟏 𝟑𝟑 (𝟓𝟓) 𝟏𝟏 (𝟐𝟐) 𝟑𝟑 (𝟓𝟓)(𝟏𝟏)+(𝟐𝟐)(𝟑𝟑) 𝟓𝟓+𝟔𝟔 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏

Example: + 𝟓𝟓 = (𝟓𝟓) 𝟐𝟐 + (𝟐𝟐) 𝟓𝟓 = (𝟓𝟓)(𝟐𝟐)
= = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏
𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏

𝒂𝒂 𝒄𝒄 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂
Multiply Fractions: ∗ = 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃 (multiply top times the top and bottom times the bottom)
𝒃𝒃 𝒅𝒅
𝟑𝟑 𝟏𝟏 (𝟑𝟑)(𝟏𝟏) (𝟑𝟑)𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏
Example: ∗ = (𝟓𝟓)(𝟑𝟑) = (𝟑𝟑)𝟓𝟓 = 𝟓𝟓
𝟓𝟓 𝟑𝟑

𝒂𝒂 𝒄𝒄 𝒂𝒂 𝒅𝒅 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂
Divide Fractions: 𝒃𝒃 ÷ 𝒅𝒅 = 𝒃𝒃 ∗ 𝒄𝒄 = 𝒃𝒃𝒃𝒃 , 𝒄𝒄 ≠ 𝟎𝟎.
(if it’s division, just reciprocate the fraction you’re dividing by and change it to multiplication.)
𝟑𝟑 𝟏𝟏 𝟑𝟑 𝟑𝟑 (𝟑𝟑)(𝟑𝟑) 𝟗𝟗
Example: ÷ 𝟑𝟑 = 𝟓𝟓 ∗ 𝟏𝟏 = (𝟓𝟓)(𝟏𝟏) = 𝟓𝟓
𝟓𝟓

Trevor L.A. May 2010