2.4: Adding and Subtracting Fractions
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Paul and Tony order a pizza which has been cut into eight equal slices. Thus, each slice is 1/8 of the whole pizza. Paul eats two slices (shaded in light gray in Figure 2.4.1), or 2/8 of the whole pizza. Tony eats three slices (shaded in light red (or a darker shade of gray in black-and-white printing) in Figure 2.4.1), or 3/8 of the whole pizza.

It should be clear that together Paul and Tony eat five slices, or 5/8 of the whole pizza. This reflects the fact that
28+38=58.
This demonstrates how to add two fractions with a common (same) denominator. Keep the common denominator and add the numerators. That is,
28+38=2+38 Keep denominator; add numerators.=58 Simplify numerator.
Adding Fractions with Common Denominators
Let a/c and b/c be two fractions with a common (same) denominator. Their sum is defined as
ac+bc=a+bc
That is, to add two fractions having common denominators, keep the common denominator and add their numerators.
A similar rule holds for subtraction.
Subtracting Fractions with Common Denominators
Let a/c and b/c be two fractions with a common (same) denominator. Their difference is defined as
acโbc=aโbc.
That is, to subtract two fractions having common denominators, keep the common denominator and subtract their numerators.
Example 2.4.1
Find the sum of 4/9 and 3/9.
Solution
Keep the common denominator and add the numerators.
49+39=4+39 Keep denominator; add numerators.=79 Simplify numerator.
Exercise 2.4.1
Add:
18+28
- Answer
-
3/8
Example 2.4.2
Subtract 5/16 from 13/16.
Solution
Keep the common denominator and subtract the numerators.
1316โ516=13โ516 Keep denominator; subtract numerators.=816 Simplify numerator.
Of course, as we learned in Section 4.1, we should always reduce our final answer to lowest terms. One way to accomplish that in this case is to divide numerator and denominator by 8, the greatest common divisor of 8 and 16.
=8รท816รท8 Divide numerator and denominator by 8.=12 Simplify numerator and denominator.
Exercise 2.4.2
Subtract:
1112โ712
- Answer
-
1/3
Adding Fractions with Different Denominators
Consider the sum
49+16.
We cannot add these fractions because they do not have a common denominator. So, what to do?
Goals
In order to add two fractions with different denominators, we need to:
- Find a common denominator for the given fractions.
- Make fractions with the common denominator that are equivalent to the original fractions.
If we accomplish the two items in the โGoal,โ we will be able to find the sum of the given fractions.
So, how to start? We need to find a common denominator, but not just any common denominator. Letโs agree that we want to keep the numbers as small as possible and find a least common denominator.
Definition: Least Common Denominator
The least common denominator (LCD) for a set of fractions is the smallest number divisible by each of the denominators of the given fractions.
Consider again the sum we wish to find:
49+16.
The denominators are 9 and 6. We wish to find a least common denominator, the smallest number that is divisible by both 9 and 6. A number of candidates come to mind: 36, 54, and 72 are all divisible by 9 and 6, to name a few. But the smallest number that is divisible by both 9 and 6 is 18. This is the least common denominator for 9 and 6.
We now proceed to the second item in โGoal.โ We need to make fractions having 18 as a denominator that are equivalent to 4/9 and 1/6. In the case of 4/9, if we multiply both numerator and denominator by 2, we get
49=4โ 29โ 2 Multiply numerator and denominator by 2.=818. Simplify numerator and denominator.
In the case of 1/6, if we multiply both numerator and denominator by 3, we get
16=1โ 36โ 3 Multiply numerator and denominator by 3.=318. Simplify numerator and denominator.
Typically, weโll arrange our work as follows.
4+16=4โ 29โ 2+1โ 36โ 3 Equivalent fractions with LCD = 18.=818+318 Simplify numerators and denominators.=8+318 Keep common denominator; add numerators.=1118 Simplify numerator.
Letโs summarize the procedure.
Adding or Subtracting Fractions with Different Denominators
- Find the LCD, the smallest number divisible by all the denominators of the given fractions.
- Create fractions using the LCD as the denominator that are equivalent to the original fractions.
- Add or subtract the resulting equivalent fractions. Simplify, including reducing the final answer to lowest terms.
Example 2.4.4
Simplify: 35โ23.
Solution
The smallest number divisible by both 5 and 3 is 15.
35โ23=3โ 35โ 3โ2โ 53โ 5 Equivalent fractions with LCD = 15.=915โ1015 Simplify numerators and denominators.=9โ1015 Keep LCD; subtract numerators.=โ115 Simplify numerator.
Although this answer is perfectly acceptable, negative divided by positive gives us a negative answer, so we could also write
=โ115.
Exercise 2.4.4
Subtract:
34โ75
- Answer
-
-13/20
Example 2.4.5
Simplify: โ14โ56.
Solution
The smallest number divisible by both 4 and 6 is 12.
โ14โ56=โ1โ 34โ 3โ5โ 26โ 2 Equivalent fractions with LCD =12.=โ312โ1012 Simplify numerators and denominators.=โ3โ1012 Keep LCD; subtract numerators.=โ1312 Simplify numerator.
Exercise 2.4.5
Subtract: โ38โ112
- Answer
-
-11/24
Least Common Multiple
First we define the multiple of a number.
Definition: Multiples
The multiples of a number d are 1d, 2d, 3d, 4d, etc. That is, the multiples of d are the numbers nd, where n is a natural number.
For example, the multiples of 8 are 1 ยท 8, 2 ยท 8, 3 ยท 8, 4 ยท 8, etc., or equivalently, 8, 16, 24, 32, etc.
Definition: Least Common Multiple
The least common multiple (LCM) of a set of numbers is the smallest number that is a multiple of each number of the given set. The procedure for finding an LCM follows:
- List all of the multiples of each number in the given set of numbers.
- List the multiples that are in common.
- Pick the least of the multiples that are in common.
Example 2.4.7
Find the least common multiple (LCM) of 12 and 16.
Solution
List the multiples of 12 and 16.
Multiples of 12 : 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96,...
Multiples of 16 : 16, 32, 48, 64, 80, 96, 112,...
Pick the common multiples.
Common Multiples : 48, 96,...
The LCM is the least of the common multiples.
LCM(12,16) = 48
Exercise 2.4.7
Find the least common denominator of 6 and 9.
- Answer
-
18
Important Observation
The least common denominator is the least common multiple of the denominators.
For example, suppose your problem is 5/12 + 5/16. The LCD is the smallest number divisible by both 12 and 16. That number is 48, which is also the LCM of 12 and 16. Therefore, the procedure for finding the LCM can also be used to find the LCD.
Least Common Multiple Using Prime Factorization
You can also find the LCM using prime factorization.
LCM By Prime Factorization
To find an LCM for a set of numbers, follow this procedure:
- Write down the prime factorization for each number in compact form using exponents.
- The LCM is found by writing down every factor that appears in step 1 to the highest power of that factor that appears.
Example 2.4.8
Use prime factorization to find the least common multiple find the least common denominator of 18 and 24. (LCM) of 12 and 16.
Solution
Prime factor 12 and 16.
12=2โ 2โ 316=2โ 2โ 2โ 2
Write the prime factorizations in compact form using exponents.
12=22โ 3116=24
To find the LCM, write down each factor that appears to the highest power of that factor that appears. The factors that appear are 2 and 3. The highest power of 2 that appears is 24. The highest power of 3 that appears is 31.
LCM=24โ 31 Keep highest power of each factor.
Now we expand this last expression to get our LCM.
=16โ 3 Expand: 24=16 and 31=3.=48. Multiply.
Note that this answer is identical to the LCM found in Example 8 that was found by listing multiples and choosing the smallest multiple in common.
Exercise 2.4.8
Use prime factorization to find the least common denominator of 18 and 24.
- Answer
-
72
Example 2.4.10
Simplify: 528+1142.
Solution
Prime factor the denominators in compact form using exponents.
28 = 2 ยท 2 ยท 7=22 ยท 7
42 = 2 ยท 3 ยท 7=21 ยท 31 ยท 71
To find the LCD, write down each factor that appears to the highest power of that factor that appears. The factors that appear are 2, 3, and 7. The highest power of 2 that appears is 22. The highest power of 3 that appears is 31. The highest power of 7 that appears is 71.
LCM=22โ 31โ 71 Keep highest power of each factor.=4โ 3โ 7 Expand: 22=4, 31=3, 71=7.=84 Multiply.
Create equivalent fractions with the new LCD, then add.
528+1142=5โ 328โ 3+11โ 242โ 2 Equivalent fractions with LCD = 84.=1584+2284 Simplify numerators and denominators.=3784 Keep LCD; add numerators.
Exercise 2.4.10
Simplify: 524+536
- Answer
-
25/72
Example 2.4.11
Simplify: โ1124โ118.
Solution
Prime factor the denominators in compact form using exponents.
24 = 2 ยท 2 ยท 2 ยท 3=23 ยท 31
18 = 2 ยท 3 ยท 3=21 ยท 32
To find the LCD, write down each factor that appears to the highest power of that factor that appears. The factors that appear are 2 and 3. The highest power of 2 that appears is 23. The highest power of 3 that appears is 32.
LCM=23โ 32 Keep highest power of each factor.=8โ 9 Expand: 23=8 and 32=9.=72. Multiply.
Create equivalent fractions with the new LCD, then subtract.
โ1124โ118=โ11โ 324โ 3โ1โ 418โ 4 Equivalent fractions with LCD = 72.=โ3372โ472 Simplify numerators and denominators.=โ33โ472 Keep LCD; subtract numerators.=โ3772 Simplify numerator.
Of course, negative divided by positive yields a negative answer, so we can also write our answer in the form
โ1124โ118=โ3772.
Exercise 2.4.11
Simplify: โ524โ1136
- Answer
-
โ37/72
Comparing Fractions
The simplest way to compare fractions is to create equivalent fractions.
Example 2.4.12
Arrange the fractions โ1/2 and โ4/5 on a number line, then compare them by using the appropriate inequality symbol.
Solution
The least common denominator for 2 and 5 is the number 10. First, make equivalent fractions with a LCD equal to 10.
โ12=โ1โ 52โ 5=โ510โ45=โ4โ 25โ 2=โ810
To plot tenths, subdivide the interval between โ1 and 0 into ten equal increments.
Because โ4/5 lies to the left of โ1/2, we have that โ4/5 is less than โ1/2, so we write
โ45<โ12.
Exercise 2.4.12
Compare โ3/8 and โ1/2.
- Answer
-
โ12<โ38
Exercises
List the multiples of the given numbers, then list the common multiples. Select the LCM from the list of common multiples.
1. 9 and 15
3. 20 and 8
9. 10 and 6
For the given numbers, calculate the LCM using prime factorization.
11. 54 and 12
15. 72 and 108
Add or subtract the fractions, as indicated, and simplify your result.
21. 712โ112
27. 37โ47
29. 411+911
33. 16โ18
35. 15+23
37. 23+58
45. 16+23
53. 56โ45
56. 16+79
Answers
1. 45
3. 40
9. 30
11. 108
15. 216
21. 12
27. โ17
29. 1311
33. 124
35. 1315
37. 3124
45. 56
53. 130
56. 1718