math help

What is 34/3 + 5/12?

What is 34/3 + 5/12?

Here's how you add

34
3
+
5
12

Step 1

Now we need to make our denominators match.

Since 3 is evenly divided by 12, we can multiply just one term to get a common denominator.

Multiply 34 by 4, and get 136, then we multiply 3 by 4 and get 12.

34/3 times 4

The problem now has new fractions to add:

136
12
+
5
12

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

136 + 5 = 141

The sum we get is

141
12

Step 3

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

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

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:

141
12
÷ 3 =
47
4

Let's try dividing by that again...

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

No good. 5 is larger than 4. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 34/3 + 5/12

34
3
+
5
12
=
47
4
© 2014 Randy Tayler