math help

What is 45/3 + 7/11?

What is 45/3 + 7/11?

This is how we add

45
3
+
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 45 by 11, and get 495, then we multiply 3 by 11 and get 33.

45/3 times 11

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 7 by 3, and get 21, then multiply 3 by 11 and get 33.

7/11 times 3

The problem now has new fractions to add:

495
33
+
21
33

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

495 + 21 = 516

This yields the answer

516
33

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:

516
33
÷ 3 =
172
11

Let's try dividing by that again...

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 11. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 45/3 + 7/11

45
3
+
7
11
=
172
11
© 2014 Randy Tayler