Adding and Subtracting Fractions with

Unlike Denominators
To find the sum or difference of two fractions with unlike denominators, rename the fractions using the
least common denominator (LCD). Then add or subtract and simplify.

Example 1
Find!+:.
The LCD of! and~ is 6.
Write the problem. Rename using the LCD, 6. Add the fractions.

1X 2 =! 2
3 X 2 6 6
➔ ➔
+ 5 X l=.Q. + .Q.
6 X 1 6 6
7 1
- or 1-
6 6

Example 2
Find: - !·
The LCD of ; and ! is 12.
Write the problem. Rename using the LCD, 12. Subtract the fractions.
8
2 2 X 4 _ 8
3 3 X 4 -12 12
➔ ➔ 3
1 1 X3 3 12
4 4X3 - 12 5
12

Example l Evaluate x - y if x = ~ and y = : •

x - y =1- - -
2
Replace x with ½and y with ~.
2 5
-
1 X5
2 X5
2 X2
5 X2 Rename 1and ¾using the LCD, 1O.
= 2- - ..i.. Simplify.
10 10
= ..!.. Subtract the numerators.
10

Exercises
Add or subtract. Write in simplest form.
1 1 2 1 1 7
1. 6 + 2 2• 3 - 2 3• 4 + a
2 1 _! _ _!_
5• 7 +2 8• 9 3

9. Evaluate x + y if x = 1~ andy = !· 10. Evaluate a + b if a = ~ and b = !·

 Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike
Denominators
Add or subtract. Write in simplest form.
3 1 11 7
1. 4
2. 2
3. 12
4.
10
+ .! + .! 2 1
8 3 3 2

1 3 3 6
5. 6
6.
4
7.
5
8.
7
3 + .! 1 3
+ 10 6 4 4

6 1 9 3 7 1
9• 7 +3 lO. 10 + 5 12. ii - 2

ALGEBRA Evaluate each expression.

13. a + b if a = ! and b = ~ 14. c - d if c = ; 0 and d = :

15. ANIMALS A newborn panda at the San Diego zoo grew about ; 6 pound
the first week and about ~ pound the second week. How much more did
the panda grow the second week? Justify your answer.

16. EXERCISES Every day Kim does leg muscle exercises for ~ of an hour
and foot muscle exercises for ; of an hour. Which exercises does she
spend the most time doing and by how much?
Adding or Subtracting Fractions with Different Denominators
Evaluate each expression.

3 2 9
1) - + - 2) 1 + -
4 5 5

13 3 5 1
3) -+- 4) - - -
7 2 8 7

3 1 3
5) 1 + - 6) -+ -
7 7 2

4 9 5 1
7) - + - 8) -+ -
5 7 4 2

7 5 1
9) -+ - 10) 7- -
4 8 4

3 4 3
11) - + - 12) 3 - -
2 3 7

2 10 1 1
13) - + - 14) - +-
3 7 3 2

13 4 1
15) 4- - 16) - + -
7 5 3

3 11 4 3
17) - + - 18) - + -
2 6 7 2

5 1 3 13
19) - + - 20) - +-
7 4 2 7
Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Evaluate each expression.

4 4 5 3
1) - + - 2) - + -
5 7 4 4

5 4
4) - + -
4 3

1 I 8 4
5) - + - 6) - + -
5 3 7 3

Find each difference.

5 2 7 6
7) - - - 8) - - -
3 5 4 7

7 I 4 6
9) - - - 10) - - -
6 3 3 7

5 I I
11) - - - 12) 2 - -
3 2 6
~ Find the sum.

1 2 3 2 5 3
1) -+- = 5) - +- = 9) - +- =
3 3 4 5 9 7

1 1 3 1 5 1
2) -+- = 6) - +- = 10)-+- =
2 3 5 5 11 4

2 1 5 1 3 1
3) -+- = 7) - +- = 11). -+-
7 6 =
5 2 9 2

3 2 3 3 3 3
4) -+- = 8) - +- = 12)-+- =
7 3 5 8 14 4

~ Find the difference.

1 1 2 1 3 2
13) - - - = 19)- - - = 25) - - - =
2 3 5 4 7 5

4 2 5 2 5 1
14)--- = 20)- - - = 26) - - - =
S 3 8 6 9 6

2 1 4 1 2 1
15) - - - = 21)--- = 27)--- =
3 6 15 10 5 10

3 1 7 1 5 2
16) - - - = 22)--- = 28)--- =
5 2 20 5 12 9

8 2 3 1 2 3
17)---= 23)--- = 29)--- =
9 5 18 12 13 7

4 1 9 3 4 5
18) - - -
7 9
= 24)---
24 16
= 30)--- =
11 8
 Adding & Subtracting Fractions
Solve each problem. Write the answer as a mixed number fraction (if pos

1) 2 1- 2) 4 1
-
5 3 - 5 2

3) 10 2 4) 1 1
-
3--
12 2 5

5) 8 2 6) 4 1
10 4 6 12

7) 3 3 8) 10 1
-+-= -+-=
6 8 12 2

9) 4 5 10) 5 6
-+-= -+-=
5 12 6 12

11) 1 2 12) 7 8
-+-= -+-=
3 6 8 10
 Add or subtract the fallowing fractions. Simplify and reduce when possible.
2 3 9 1 1 3
1) - + - = 2) - + - = 3} - + - =
7 7 14 14 6 6

3 1 2 1 4 1
4) -+- = 5) - + - = 6} - + - =
5 4 3 2 5 2

2 3 5 3 7 2
7) -+-= 8) -+- = 9) -+- =
4 6 6 8 9 3

3 1 3 1 7 2
10) - - -= 11) ---= 12) ---=
4 2 5 3 8 3

13) -
5 1
- - = 14)
9
-
1
- -= 15)_!!__ _ 5 =
12 4 11 2 12 6

1 1 5 1 9 1
16} ---= 17) ---= 18) - - - =
2 3 6 4 10 3

8 1 20} 14 - .!_ = 4 3
19) -+-= 21) - - - =
20 5 15 6 7 8

6 1 8 2 12 5
22) -+-= 23) ---= 24) -+-=
12 2 9 3 16 8

3 1 4 6 2 2
25) - - -= 26) - - - = 27) -+-=
7 6 5 10 13 3
 Adding and Subtracting Fractions (A)
Find the value of each expression in lowest terms.
7 8 3 9 4 2
1. 4- 5 5· 2 - 7 9· 3- 5

2· 23
2
+ 94 6
·
7
10 +5
2 5
IO. 2 + 2
3

8 3 14 _ 4
3· 3- 2 7
· 5 3

5 13 17 _ 5 9 5
4· 2 - 12 8 12. 7 - 6
· 7 3
 Adding and Subtracting Fractions (B)
Find the value of each expression in lowest terms.

l.
5 4
6- 9 5 5
·4
+ 109 9 23
· 5
+ 107

2
22 _ 4
6
!1_.Ll.
· 3 3 · 4 8

3·
14
TI+ TI
20
7 23
· 8
+!4 I I. 2 1
2
+ 181

4
·
7
5
7
+ 10 8·
2
TI+ TI
10
12. ~+ Ii
 Adding and Subtracting Fractions (C)
Find the value of each expression in lowest terms.
16 _ _IB 3 I
I 5· 5 - 2
· 3 5

2 5
· 3
+ 179 6 !+!!
· 5 5 lo. 22 _
.5
!!
7

3· 10 -
17 3
7· 3
22 _ ! 11 5
2 9 II. 10+6

4
·
19
3
+ !!2 12. ;
1
+~
 Adding and Subtracting Fractions (D)
Find the value of each expression in lowest terms.

1
13 _
· 2
u4 5
17 _ 7
· 6 4 9· 3
16 _ 19
4

2 5
· 6
+ 214 6
17 _ 14
· 3 3 lo. 9
19 _ 23
12

1 5 3 3
3· 2 -TT ll. 2- 7

15 I 13 3 21 _ 9
4· s-TI 8· TT - 4 12
· 4 5
 Adding and Subtracting Fractions with
Like Denominators
MAPS For Exercises 1-3, use the
drawing at the right that shows
distances between major sites on
the Avenue of the Americas in
New York City.
----------------
Avenue of the Americas, New York City
1. Carla walked from the Empire State
Building to the Museum of Modem Art.
How far did she walk?
3. Dion walked from Central Park South
to the Empire State Building. How far
did he walk?
5. ART Beng is creating a painting. He
!
has : of a tube of red paint and of a
tube of green paint. How much more
red paint does he have than green
paint?
16
20 mt
. 3
20 m,
. 6 ,
20 m,
2. Julie walked from Central Park South
to the Museum of Modem Art. Jolene
walked from Radio City Music Hall to
the Museum. How much farther did
Julie walk than Jolene?
4. COOKING Tiffany made a glass of
punch from fruit juice concentrate. She
!
used cup concentrate and cup !
water. How much more water than
concentrate did Tiffany use?
6. CONSTRUCTION Mr. Hayashi is
repairing his sidewalk. He mixed ~
pound of cement with sand and water
to make concrete. The next day he
mixed ~ pound of cement with sand
and water. How many pounds of cement
altogether did Mr. Hayashi use?
 Adding and Subtracting Fractions with
Unlike Denominators
BUSINESSFor Exercises 1-4, use the table below. It lists the fractions of
United States car sales held by several companies in 2001.

Leading Car Sales in U.S. in 2001

Company .F raction of Sales
1
Company A
5
4
Company B
25
2
Company C
5
3
Company D
20

1. What fraction of the U.S. sales did 2. How much greater was the fraction of
Company C and Company B hold the market of Company A than of
together? Company D?

3. How much more than Company Ns 4. Find the total fraction of the market
fraction of the market did Company C that Company D and Company B hold
have? together.

5. TRAVEL Gabriella's travel shampoo
bottle holds ~ cup of shampoo. Before
leaving on vacation, she filled the bottle
!
to the top with cup of shampoo. How
much shampoo was already in the
bottle?
6. EXERCISE Bill and Andy were racing to
see who could run the farthest in
5 minutes. Bill ran ~ of a mile, and
!
Andy ran of a mile. How much
farther did Andy run than Bill?