math help

What is 45/4 + 4/5?

What is 45/4 + 4/5?

This is how you add

45
4
+
4
5

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 5, and get 225, then we multiply 4 by 5 and get 20.

45/4 times 5

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 4 by 4, and get 16, then multiply 4 by 5 and get 20.

4/5 times 4

The problem now has new fractions to add:

225
20
+
16
20

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

225 + 16 = 241

This yields the answer

241
20

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...

No good. 23 is larger than 20. So we're done reducing.

Congratulations! Here's your final answer to 45/4 + 4/5

45
4
+
4
5
=
241
20
© 2014 Randy Tayler