Addition
and Subtraction
Here, the weird thing is the denominator
This is the case of the old and ever famous
common denominator syndrome.
1\2 + 1\4
= ?
you could use money and say 2 quarters make a half and one more quarter
makes 75¢ so a half a dollar plus a quarter of a dollar makes 3 quarters
of a dollar. You still created the common denominator when you made
two quarts instead of a fifty cent piece.
Looks like this:
1
1
the denominators are
2
4
different.
we have to change the 1\2 (one half)
into 2\4 (two quarters) to match the one quarter. Now it looks like
this:
2
1
Now the denominators
4
4
are the same.
Now we may add or subtract.
2\4 + 1\4 = 3\4
or 2\4 - 1\4 = 1\4
Notice common denominators before and after the equal sign. This is
correct.