math help

What is 80/2 + 5/7?

What is 80/2 + 5/7?

This is how we add

80
2
+
5
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 80 by 7, and get 560, then we multiply 2 by 7 and get 14.

80/2 times 7

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 5 by 2, and get 10, then multiply 2 by 7 and get 14.

5/7 times 2

The problem now has new fractions to add:

560
14
+
10
14

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

560 + 10 = 570

The sum we get is

570
14

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:

570
14
÷ 2 =
285
7

Now, try the same number again.

Nope. Try the next prime number, 3...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 5...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 7...

Nope. Try the next prime number, 11...

No good. 11 is larger than 7. So we're done reducing.

Congratulations! Here's your final answer to 80/2 + 5/7

80
2
+
5
7
=
285
7
© 2014 Randy Tayler