Adding and Subtracting Fractions (August 19)

When you're adding or subtracting fractions, the first question you should ask yourself is this:

"Are the denominators the same?"

Fractions with the same denominator are called like fractions. If they have the same denominators, solving them is easy--you just add or subtract the numerators and keep the same denominator. Here's what that looks like:

You can simplify 8/4 to 2/1, or 2

You can't add or subtract fractions unless they have the same denominator. So if your denominators are different, you can find the lowest common denominator (LCD) to make your denominators are the same. This video shows you how to do just that:

Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators: Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators

Click here to see an example of subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.