math help

What is 5/100 + 2/3?

What is 5/100 + 2/3?

Here's how you add

5
100
+
2
3

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 5 by 3, and get 15, then we multiply 100 by 3 and get 300.

5/100 times 3

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 2 by 100, and get 200, then multiply 100 by 3 and get 300.

2/3 times 100

The problem now has new fractions to add:

15
300
+
200
300

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

15 + 200 = 215

The sum we get is

215
300

Step 3

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

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

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

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

Are both the numerator and the denominator evenly divisible by 5? Yes! So we reduce it:

215
300
÷ 5 =
43
60

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 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. So next you try the next prime number, which is 41...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 43...

No good. So next you try the next prime number, which is 47...

No good. 47 is larger than 43. So we're done reducing.

And we're done! Here's the final answer to 5/100 + 2/3

5
100
+
2
3
=
43
60
© 2014 Randy Tayler