math help

What is 64/4 + 4/6?

What is 64/4 + 4/6?

Let's add

64
4
+
4
6

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 64 by 6, and get 384, then we multiply 4 by 6 and get 24.

64/4 times 6

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 4 by 4, and get 16, then multiply 4 by 6 and get 24.

4/6 times 4

The problem now has new fractions to add:

384
24
+
16
24

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

384 + 16 = 400

The sum we get is

400
24

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:

400
24
÷ 2 =
200
12

Let's try dividing by that again...

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

200
12
÷ 2 =
100
6

Let's try dividing by that again...

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

100
6
÷ 2 =
50
3

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...

No good. 5 is larger than 3. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 64/4 + 4/6

64
4
+
4
6
=
50
3
© 2014 Randy Tayler