math help

What is 3/64 + 7/8?

What is 3/64 + 7/8?

Here's how you add

3
64
+
7
8

Step 1

Our denominators (bottom numbers) don't match, so we can't add yet.

Since 8 is evenly divided by 64, we can multiply just one term to get a common denominator.

Multiply 7 by 8, and get 56, then we multiply 8 by 8 and get 64.

7/8 times 8

The problem now has new fractions to add:

3
64
+
56
64

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

3 + 56 = 59

This yields the answer

59
64

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...

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...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 41...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 43...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 47...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 53...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 59...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 61...

No good. 61 is larger than 59. So we're done reducing.

Congratulations! Here's your final answer to 3/64 + 7/8

3
64
+
7
8
=
59
64
© 2014 Randy Tayler