FRACTIONS

Addition of Fractions (same denominator)

When adding fractions which have the same denominator, simply add the numerators and place
the total above the denominator.

Examples

1 3 4 5 1 6 1
(i)   (ii)    (always reduce fractions to their lowest terms)
7 7 7 12 12 12 2

Addition of Fractions (different denominators)

In order to add fractions which have different denominators, first express each fraction as an
equivalent fraction, having the same denominator. This means you have to obtain a common
multiple for the denominators.

Examples

1 1 5 2 7 2 3 7 20 18 21 59 29
(i)     (ii)       1
2 5 10 10 10 3 5 10 30 30 30 30 30

Addition of Fractions (mixed numbers)

When adding mixed numbers, you should add the whole numbers first then add the fractions.
Improper fraction
Examples Improper fraction

2 1 3 2 4 10 12 22 7 7
(i) 1 2 3 (ii) 3 1  4    4   4 1  5
5 5 5 3 5 15 15 15 15 22
Subtraction of Fractions (same denominator)

Subtracting fractions which have the same denominators is done the same way as the addition
of fractions with the same denominator.

Example

3 1 2 1
(i)   
8 8 8 4

Subtraction of Fractions (different denominators)

In order to subtract fractions which have different denominators, first express each fraction as
an equivalent fraction, having the same denominator. This means you have to obtain a common
multiple for the denominators.

Example

4 2 20 14 6
(i)    
7 5 35 35 35

Subtraction of Fractions (mixed numbers)

When subtracting mixed numbers, you should subtract the whole numbers first then subtract the
fractions

Examples

2 1 4 3 1
(i) 4  1  (4  1)(  )  3
3 2 6 6 6

Sometimes regrouping is needed when subtracting mixed numbers.

1 1 2 3 Cannot be subtracted, so we have to regroup, we

(ii) 9  7  (9  7)(  ) rewrite 2 as 1 whole and 6/6
3 2 6 6

2 6 3 5
= 1(   )  1
6 6 6 8
Multiplication of fractions

product of numerators
The result of the multiplication of two fractions is =
product of denominators

Examples

2 4 8 1 21 1 21 3
(i) x  (ii) of  x 
3 5 15 7 25 7 25 25

Multiplication of fractions (mixed numbers)

Before we can multiply mixed numbers they first must be converted to improper fractions.

Example

2 1 5 5 25 1
(i) 1 x2  x = =4
3 2 3 2 6 6

Division of fractions

We can divide fractions by multiplying the dividend by the reciprocal of the divisor. Simplyput,
we can follow the following steps.

(1) Rewrite the first fraction

(2) Change the division sign to a multiplication sign.
(3) Invert the last fraction.
(4) Complete the multiplication
Examples Any whole number can be written with a denominator of 1

3 1 3 3 9 4 4 4 1 4
(i)   x  1 (ii) 5  x 
5 3 5 1 5 5 9 9 5 45

1 3 5 7 5 4 20 10 3
(iii) 2  1    x = =  1 (convert all mixed numbers to improper
2 4 2 4 2 7 14 7 7
fractions)
Calculate the following

1 1 1 1 1 2 5 2 5 3
(1)  (2)  (3)  (4)  (5) 
2 3 4 5 3 5 6 3 12 4

1 1 5 1 11 2 8 5 3 1
(6)  (7)  (8)  (9)  (10) 
2 4 8 2 12 3 9 6 4 3

2 1 1 3 1 1 2 2 1 3
(11) 1  (12) 3 1 (13) 2 2 (14) 2 1 (15) 5  2
3 2 5 4 5 3 7 3 2 4

1 1 3 1 1 5 1 1 11
(16) 1  (17) 5 2 (18) 6 3 (19) 2 1 
2 3 4 2 4 12 5 3 15

3 1 1 3 1 1 5 3 7
(20) 3  4 1 (21) x (22) x (23) x
4 3 12 4 2 5 7 28 3

4 9 7 4 3 1 5 7
(24) x (25) x (26)  (27) 
3 16 8 5 4 2 12 12

3 5 1 2 1 1 1 1
(28) 1  (29) 4 1 (30) 5 x2 (31) 2 x5
7 7 2 7 4 3 8 2

1 2 7 1 3 1 1 1 2
(32) 4 x2 (33) 4 1 (34) 4 1 (35) 1 x 1  4
2 3 8 4 4 2 6 3 3
Answers

5 9 11 1 1
(1) (2) (3) (4) 1 (5) 1
6 20 15 2 6

1 1 1 1 5
(6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
4 8 4 18 12

1 19 8 20 1
(11) 2 (12) 4 (13) 4 (14) 3 (15) 8
6 20 15 21 4

1 1 5 3
(16) 1 (17) 3 (18) 2 (19) 1 (20) 7
6 4 6 5

3 1 1 3 7
(21) (22) (23) (24) (25)
8 7 4 4 10

1 5 1 1
(26) 1 (27) (28) 2 (29) 3 (30) 12
2 7 2 4

11 9 1 2
(31) 11 (32) 12 (33) 3 (34) 3 (35)
16 10 6 3