math help

What is 91/6 + 8/9?

What is 91/6 + 8/9?

This is how you add

91
6
+
8
9

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 91 by 9, and get 819, then we multiply 6 by 9 and get 54.

91/6 times 9

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 8 by 6, and get 48, then multiply 6 by 9 and get 54.

8/9 times 6

The problem now has new fractions to add:

819
54
+
48
54

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

819 + 48 = 867

This yields the answer

867
54

Step 3

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

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

Nope! So now we try the next greatest prime number, 3...

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

867
54
÷ 3 =
289
18

Let's try dividing by that again...

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...

No good. 19 is larger than 18. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 91/6 + 8/9

91
6
+
8
9
=
289
18
© 2014 Randy Tayler