math help

What is 48/30 + 1/7?

What is 48/30 + 1/7?

This is how you add

48
30
+
1
7

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 48 by 7, and get 336, then we multiply 30 by 7 and get 210.

48/30 times 7

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 1 by 30, and get 30, then multiply 30 by 7 and get 210.

1/7 times 30

The problem now has new fractions to add:

336
210
+
30
210

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

336 + 30 = 366

The sum we get is

366
210

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:

366
210
÷ 2 =
183
105

So far so good... let's try to divide by that number again.

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 3...

Are both the numerator and the denominator evenly divisible by 3? Yes! So we reduce it:

183
105
÷ 3 =
61
35

So far so good... let's try to divide by that number again.

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 5...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 7...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 11...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 13...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 17...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 19...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 23...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 29...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 31...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 37...

No good. 37 is larger than 35. So we're done reducing.

And we're done! Here's the final answer to 48/30 + 1/7

48
30
+
1
7
=
61
35
© 2014 Randy Tayler