math help

What is 99/7 + 2/6?

What is 99/7 + 2/6?

This is how you add

99
7
+
2
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 99 by 6, and get 594, then we multiply 7 by 6 and get 42.

99/7 times 6

Do the same for the second term. We multiply 2 by 7, and get 14, then multiply 7 by 6 and get 42.

2/6 times 7

The problem now has new fractions to add:

594
42
+
14
42

Step 2

Since our denominators match, we can add the numerators.

594 + 14 = 608

This yields the answer

608
42

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:

608
42
÷ 2 =
304
21

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...

No good. 23 is larger than 21. So we're done reducing.

There you have it! Here's the final answer to 99/7 + 2/6

99
7
+
2
6
=
304
21
© 2014 Randy Tayler