Adding and subtracting fractions involves making the bottom numbers the same by finding the lowest common multiple and multiplying the top numbers of each fraction by the same amount. Then the top numbers are either added or subtracted, while keeping the bottom number the same, to obtain the final fraction answer. The document provides steps for adding the fractions 3/4 and 1/3 as an example.

1. Adding and Subtracting Fractions

2. You may like to take some notes!

3. Adding and subtracting fractions.....a little trickier than multiplying and dividing

4. The first thing you must do is make the bottom numbers the same

5. To make them the same you need to think of the lowest number that they will both divide into and the quickest way to do this may be to multiply the two bottom numbers together

6. in this example we would do 4 x 3 = 12

7. =

8. then you need to multiply the top number in each fraction by the same number that you multiplied the bottom number by=

9. in the first fraction the 4 was multiplied by 3 to turn it into 12 so the 3must be multiplied by 3 as well=

10. so now we have=

11. and in the second fraction the 3 was multiplied by4to turn it into 12 so the 1 must be multiplied by 4 as well=

12. so now we have=

13. now we need to add the top numbers together and leave the bottom numbers alone=

14. now we need to add the top numbers together and leave the bottom numbers alone==

15. We have ended up with a “top heavy” fraction. Divide the bottom number into the top to get a final answer of =

16. We have ended up with a “top heavy” fraction. Divide the bottom number into the top to get a final answer of =

17. Subtracting fractions You use exactly the same method as for adding but at the end you subtract the top numbers from each other rather than add them