math help

What is 45/4 + 7/10?

What is 45/4 + 7/10?

This is how we add

45
4
+
7
10

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 10, and get 450, then we multiply 4 by 10 and get 40.

45/4 times 10

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 7 by 4, and get 28, then multiply 4 by 10 and get 40.

7/10 times 4

The problem now has new fractions to add:

450
40
+
28
40

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

450 + 28 = 478

This yields the answer

478
40

Step 3

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

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

Are both the numerator and the denominator evenly divisible by 2? Yes! So we reduce it:

478
40
÷ 2 =
239
20

Let's try dividing by that again...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 3...

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...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 17...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 19...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 23...

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

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 45/4 + 7/10

45
4
+
7
10
=
239
20
© 2014 Randy Tayler