math help

What is 96/2 + 7/9?

What is 96/2 + 7/9?

This is how you add

96
2
+
7
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 96 by 9, and get 864, then we multiply 2 by 9 and get 18.

96/2 times 9

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 7 by 2, and get 14, then multiply 2 by 9 and get 18.

7/9 times 2

The problem now has new fractions to add:

864
18
+
14
18

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

864 + 14 = 878

This yields the answer

878
18

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:

878
18
÷ 2 =
439
9

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...

No good. 11 is larger than 9. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 96/2 + 7/9

96
2
+
7
9
=
439
9
© 2014 Randy Tayler