math help

What is 7/16 + 1/6?

What is 7/16 + 1/6?

This is how you add

7
16
+
1
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 7 by 6, and get 42, then we multiply 16 by 6 and get 96.

7/16 times 6

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 1 by 16, and get 16, then multiply 16 by 6 and get 96.

1/6 times 16

The problem now has new fractions to add:

42
96
+
16
96

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

42 + 16 = 58

The sum we get is

58
96

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:

58
96
÷ 2 =
29
48

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...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 29...

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 31...

No good. 31 is larger than 29. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 7/16 + 1/6

7
16
+
1
6
=
29
48
© 2014 Randy Tayler