math help

What is 10/6 + 6/8?

What is 10/6 + 6/8?

This is how you add

10
6
+
6
8

Step 1

Of course, you can't add two fractions if the denominators (bottom numbers) don't match. To get a common denominator, multiply the denominators together. Then we fix the numerators by multiplying each one by their other term's denominator.

Now you multiply 10 by 8, and get 80, then we multiply 6 by 8 and get 48.

10/6 times 8

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 6 by 6, and get 36, then multiply 6 by 8 and get 48.

6/8 times 6

The problem now has new fractions to add:

80
48
+
36
48

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

80 + 36 = 116

The sum we get is

116
48

Step 3

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:

116
48
÷ 2 =
58
24

Let's try dividing by that again...

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

58
24
÷ 2 =
29
12

Let's try dividing by that again...

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

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 5...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 7...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 11...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 13...

No good. 13 is larger than 12. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 10/6 + 6/8

10
6
+
6
8
=
29
12
© 2014 Randy Tayler