math help

What is 25/15 + 7/11?

What is 25/15 + 7/11?

This is how you add

25
15
+
7
11

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 25 by 11, and get 275, then we multiply 15 by 11 and get 165.

25/15 times 11

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 7 by 15, and get 105, then multiply 15 by 11 and get 165.

7/11 times 15

The problem now has new fractions to add:

275
165
+
105
165

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

275 + 105 = 380

This yields the answer

380
165

Step 3

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

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

Nope. Try the next prime number, 3...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 5...

Are both the numerator and the denominator evenly divisible by 5? Yes! So we reduce it:

380
165
÷ 5 =
76
33

Now, try the same number again.

Nope. Try the next prime number, 7...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 11...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 13...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 17...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 19...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 23...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 29...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 31...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 37...

No good. 37 is larger than 33. So we're done reducing.

Congratulations! Here's your final answer to 25/15 + 7/11

25
15
+
7
11
=
76
33
© 2014 Randy Tayler