math help

What is 5/12 + 1/12?

What is 5/12 + 1/12?

This is how you add

5
12
+
1
12

Step 1

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

5 + 1 = 6

The sum we get is

6
12

Step 2

The last step is to reduce the fraction if we can.

To find out, we try dividing it by 2...

Are both the numerator and the denominator evenly divisible by 2? Yes! So we reduce it:

6
12
÷ 2 =
3
6

Let's try dividing by that again...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 3...

Are both the numerator and the denominator evenly divisible by 3? Yes! So we reduce it:

3
6
÷ 3 =
1
2

Let's try dividing by that again...

No good. 3 is larger than 1. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 5/12 + 1/12

5
12
+
1
12
=
1
2
© 2014 Randy Tayler