09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

World Mental Calculation

News and Resources for Competitive and Advanced Mental Calculation

 Menu

How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental

Maths
While addition and subtraction of integers is usually straightforward, there are more
steps involved when you add or subtract fractions.

A fraction consists of a number—the numerator—divided by another number—called

the denominator. It is usual for both these numbers to be positive integers (whole
numbers).

For example, in 4

15
, the numerator is 4, and the denominator is 15.

General Formula

The basic formula for adding fractions is:

a c ad+bc
+ =
b d bd

In words, this means that you multiply each numerator by the opposite demonimator,
and add these results to get the new numerator. The new denominator is the product
of the original denominators.

Subtraction uses the same calculation, except using a minus rather than a plus:

a c ad–bc
– =
b d bd

https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 1/7
09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

On this page, I’ll use examples using addition calculations only.

As an example:

2 3 2×8+3×5 31
+ = =
5 8 5×8 40

Explanation of Formula

You can use this formula without understanding it, but helps you memorize it, and be
creative with it, if you do understand it.

Imagine you have two pizzas of equal size:

Pizza 1 is cut into b equal slices, of which you’ll eat a of them.

Pizza 2 is cut into d equal slices, of which you’ll eat c of them.

In total you will eat a

b
+
c

d
pizza. How much is this?

Imagine that you would carefully cut each slice of the first pizza into d slices. The slices
are much smaller now—the pizza is divided into bd slices—and you’ll eat ad of them.

Then cut each slice of the second pizza into b slices. This pizza is also now divided into
bd slices—and you’ll eat bc of them.

In total, you ate ad + bc slices, and each one was 1

bd
of a whole pizza.

https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 2/7
09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

Simplified Fractions

A fraction is simplified if there are no prime numbers that divide into both the
numerator and denominator. For example, 40 60
is not simplified, because 2 divides into
both 40 and 60. In fact, so does 5 , and even some larger non-prime numbers, like 20. If
you divide the top and bottom of the fraction by 20, the fraction becomes 23 , which is
the simplified form.

On this page, I’ll assume that you need to add or subtract fractions that are already
simplified, which is usual for mental math competitions. There is a note at the end to
describe what you should do if they are not simplified.

Mixed Fractions

A fraction is improper, if the numerator is larger than the denominator. For example,
14

3
is an improper fraction. Improper fractions can be written as mixed fractions—with
an integer part and a proper fraction part. For example, 14

3
= 4
2

In mental calculation competitions, you must give all answers in mixed form. Improper
fractions are marked incorrect!

To convert an improper fraction to a mixed fraction, first divide the numerator by the
denominator and obtain the remainder:

https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 3/7
09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

14 ÷ 3 = 4 rem. 2

The integer part is the result of the division—4 —and the remainder—2 —is the
numerator for the mixed fraction.

14 2
= 4
3 3

As a complete example:

2 4 22 7
+ = = 1
3 5 15 15

Cases that Require Simplification

If two numbers—b and d—don’t share any factors, they are called co-prime. This is the
same as saying that b would be a simplified fraction.
d

If the two denominators—b and d—are co-prime, then it is guaranteed that the
resulting fraction will not need simplification. But otherwise, you will also need to try to
simplify the final fraction.

In mental calculation competitions, you must give all answers in simplified form.
Unsimplified fractions are marked incorrect!

8 and 24 are not co-prime, as both are even, so we must simplify at the end:

3 7 3×24+7×8 128 2
+ = = =
8 24 8×24 192 3

This calculation involved some fairly large numbers, and it could be worse if the original
fractions had larger denominators! Luckily, there is a shortcut:

Find any number that the denominators both divide into—the smaller the better.
In the example above, you could use 48, but the best would be to use 24.

https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 4/7
09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

Express both fractions using this new denominator: 9

24
+
7

24
. In this case, the
second fraction did not need to change, but in the first one, the deminomator
had been multiplied by 3 to get from 8 to 24. So it was necessary to multiply its
numerator the same way: 3 × 3 = 9.
Simply add the numerators, and place that above the new denominator.

3 7 9 7 16 2
+ = + = =
8 24 24 24 24 3

Notice that sometimes—like here—we need to do a simplification step at the end, even
though we already simplified at an earlier stage.

Proof that Addition of Simplified Fractions with Co-prime

Denominators Never Requires Simplification

You can skip this paragraph if you are not currently curious about the mathematics
behind the method.

Does the result from the formula, , require simplification?

ad+bc

bd

Assume that b and d share no prime factors—meaning they are co-prime. Does any
factor of b divide into the numerator ad + bc?

Certainly it will divide into bc. But it doesn’t divide into ad , because b shares no prime
factors with d, and nor with a (as a

b
was already simplified). Since it does divide into bc
but not into ad , it can’t divide into their sum.

By the same argument, the numerator also shares no prime factors with d.

Therefore there are no prime numbers—and thus no integers of any type—that we can
divide by to simplify .
ad+bc

bd

Final Summary for Mental Calculation

When adding or subtracting fractions using mental math:

Check—or assume—that the fractions can’t be simplified.

Check whether the denominators share any factors.
If they don’t share any factors, use the general formula, and leave your answer as
a mixed fraction.
https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 5/7
09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

If they do share factors, you can either use the general method (simpler) or just
change the fractions manually to have the same denominator (easier arithmetic).
Then simplify the final answer, if necessary.
Remember not to write down any intermediate steps if training for a
competition!

As a final example:

Using the general formula:

1 5 6–20 14 10 5
3 – = 3 = 3– = 2 = 2
4 6 24 24 24 12

Alternatively, by changing fractions manually:

1 5 3 10 7 5
3 – = 3 – = 3– = 2
4 6 12 12 12 12

Here, we must check whether 2 12

5
can be simplified further, but it cannot. So it is the
final answer.

Further Reading

You might be interested in:

Information about international mental calculation competitions.

More advanced methods for mental calculation.
How to multiply and divide fractions with mental math.

Keep updated… Like us on Facebook!

https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 6/7
09/12/2022 15:40 How to Add and Subtract Fractions with Mental Maths – World Mental Calculation

World Mental Calculation

832 followers

Follow Page Share

Search …

Monthly Updates

Sign up to receive updates when new content is published!

Name

Email*

Submit

Recent Posts

Junior Mental Calculation World Championship 2022: Results

Mind Sports Olympiad Results 2022
Mental Calculation World Cup 2022: Results
Junior Mental Calculation World Championship 2022
Mental Calculation World Cup 2022: List of Competitors

© 2022 World Mental Calculation • Built with GeneratePress

https://worldmentalcalculation.com/how-to-add-and-subtract-fractions-with-mental-maths/ 7/7