How do we add or subtract fractions?

 

The names of what we are adding or subtracting -- the

  denominators -- must be the same.  Add or subtract only
the numerators, and keep that same denominator.
5 2 7
 Example 1.    8  +  8  =  8 .

"5 eighths + 2 eighths = 7 eighths."

The denominator of a fraction has but one function,

which is to name what we are counting.  In this example,
we are counting eighths.

5 2 3
  Example 2.    8  −  8  =  8 .

Fractions with different denominators

To add or subtract fractions, the denominators must be the
same.  Before continuing, then, the student should know
how to convert one fraction
to an equivalent one, by multiplying the numerator and the
denominator. See Lesson 22, Examples 1, 2, 3, and
especially Example 4.

 2.   How do we add fractions with different

denominators?
2
1
 + 
4
 
3
 Convert each fraction to an equivalent
 
 
fraction with the same denominator.
 3.   What number should we choose as the
 
common denominator?
Choose a common multiple of the original
  denominators. Choose
their lowest common multiple. (Lesson 23.)
 

We choose a common multiple of the denominators

because we change a denominator by multiplying it.
Lesson 22.
2 1
  Example 3.      3  +  4 .
Solution.  The lowest common multiple of 3 and 4 is their
product, 12. (Lesson 22, Question 4.)
We will convert each fraction to an equivalent fraction
with denominator 12.
2 1  8   3 
3
 +  4
 =  12
 +  12
 

11
      =  . 
12
2  8    by saying, "3 goes
We converted 3  to  12
into
(is contained in) 12 four times. Four times 2 is 8."
(In that way, we multiplied both 2 and 3 by the same
number, namely 4.  See Lesson 22, Question 3.)
1  3    by saying, "4 goes into
We converted 4  to  12
12 three
times. Three times 1 is 3."  (We multiplied both 1 and 4
by 3.)
The fact that we say what we do shows again that
arithmetic is a spoken skill.
In practice, it is necessary to write the common
denominator only once:
2  +  1  =  8 + 3  =  11 .
3 4   12 12

4  2 
  Example 4.     5  +  15
Solution.  The LCM of 5 and 15  is 15.  Therefore,
4  2  12  +  2 14
5
 +  15
 =      15
 =  15
.
4 12   by saying, "5 goes into
We changed 5  to  15
15 three
times. Three times 4 is 12."
We did not  2   , because we are not changing
change  15 the
denominator 15.

2 1  7 
  Example 5.      3  +  6  +  12
Solution.  The LCM of 3, 6, and 12  is 12.

2 1  7  8 + 2 + 7
3
 +  6
 +  12
  =        12
2 1  7  17
3
 +  6
 +  12
  =   12
2 1  7   5 
3
 +  6
 +  12
  =  1 12
.
2  8    by saying, "3 goes into
We converted 3   to   12
12 four
times. Four times 2 is 8."
1  2    by saying, "6 goes into
We converted 6   to   12
12 two
times. Two times 1 is 2."
  We did not  7   , because we are not changing
change  12 the
denominator 12.
17  5 
Finally, we changed the improper fraction12   to  1 12   by
dividing 17 by 12. (Lesson 20.)
"12 goes into 17 one (1) time with remainder 5."
 5 7
  Example 6.     6  +  9
Solution.  The LCM of 6 and 9  is 18.

5 7 15 + 14 29 11
6
 +  9   =      18   =   18   =  1 18
.
5 15   by multiplying both terms
We changed 6   to   18
by 3.
7 14   by multiplying both terms
We changed 9   to   18
by 2.
1 1
  Example 7.    Add mentally 2  +  4 .
1  is how 1
  Answer.   2 4
's?
many 
1 2
2
 =  4.
Just as 1 is half of 2, so 2 is half of 4.  Therefore,
1 1 3
2  +  4
 =  4
.
The student should not have to write any problem in
which one of
  the fractions 1 , and the denominator of the other is
is  2 even.
For example,
1  2   7 
2
 +  10  =  10
  -- 1  5 
2
 =  10 .
because  
Example 8.   In a recent exam, one eighth of the students
got A, two fifths got B, and the rest got C.  What fraction
got C?
 Solution.   Let 1 represent the whole number of students.
Then the question is:
1  +  2  + ?  = 1 .
8 5
Now,
1 2 5 + 16 21
 + 
8 5
 =     40
 =  40
.
21
The rest, the fraction that got C, is the complement of 40 .
19
It is  40 .
 4.   How do we add mixed numbers?

Add the whole numbers and add the

 
fractions separately.

3 2 5
  Example 9.    4 8   +  2 8   =  6 8 .

2 4 6
  Example 10.    35   +  1 5   =  4 5 .
6  is improper, we must change it to a mixed
But  5
number:
46  = 1 1 .
  5 5
Therefore,
6 1 1
4 5   =  4 + 1 5   =  5 5 .

Solution.  When the denominators are different, we may

arrange the work vertically; although that is not necessary.
To add the fractions, the denominators must be the
same.  The LCM
  of 4 and 8  is 8.  We will 3 6 -- by
4
 to  8
change  multiplying
 both terms by 2:

6 5 11 3
  We added  6 + 3 = 9.    8  +  8  =   8   = 1 8 .

3 3
     9 + 1 8
 = 10 8
.