UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS: ADDING AND SUBTRACTING FRACTIONS

As you know the addition and subtraction of fractions are known as tricky mathematical skills. In different fields, the representation of fractions as a whole part is able to be manipulated. So, you need to understand how to add and subtract fractional terms or how these can be done by manipulating a fraction calculator. Whether you are working as a contributor in pizza among friends or have work done on complex equations, the addition and subtraction of fractions play a prominent role.

In this comprehensive, you will be able to break down the basics by providing explanations with tables and examples. Let’s dive into the depth explanation to make math a little bit more straightforward.

What Are Fractions?

In Mathematics, fractions are defined as the numeric quantities that are not in whole numbers. In various mathematical operations, fractions play a prominent role like additions, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As we have discussed above fractions are used to display whole numbers.

Illustration:

There are two terms 2 and 7. These are written in the form of fractions are as follows;

2/7

As we know the fractional terms are indicated as numerators over the denominator. So, 2 is a numerator and 7 is a denominator. You can also verify the answer by taking into service the fraction calculator. The tool is developed to support fraction addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and conversion.

Identifying The Numerator And Denominator:

In fractions, there are two main components including the numerator and denominator. As we know the fraction is indicated in which one term is at the top and the second is below. The top written term is known as numerator which shows the quantity being considered, while the bottom number is referred to as denominator which indicates the total number of alike parts into which the whole is able to divisible.

For Example:

In the fraction 3/5, 3 is the numerator, representing three parts, and 5 is the denominator, signifying that the whole is divided into five equal parts.

Understanding The Concept Of Adding Fractions:

It is the fundamental concept in mathematics to add fractions and you can make the process straightforward when the denominators are identical. In this case, you just need to sum up the numerators while keeping the denominator unchanged of the same term.

For instance, suppose the fractions 1/4 and 3/4.

Since this term has the same denominator you need to add their numerators which are;

1 + 3 = 4

So 1/4 + 3/4 equals 4/4.

Steps To Add Fractions With The Same Denominator:

Adding fractions with the same denominator involves a systematic process. This ensures that fractions share a common denominator. After this confirmation sum up the given numerators while keeping the denominator unchanged. The fraction calculator online performs basic and advanced fraction operations, especially addition and subtraction expressions to combine with integers, decimals, and mixed numbers.

For example, if you have the fractions 2/5 and 3/5, since they have the same denominator (5), you add their numerators (2 + 3) to get 5. The result is then placed over the common denominator, resulting in the sum of 5/5.

Understanding The Concept Of Subtracting Fractions:

While maintaining the same denominator, it is easy to subtract fractions. This is so that operations on the numerators do not affect the denominator, which works as a representation of the total parts of the whole.

For instance, consider subtracting 7/8 from 3/8:

3/8 – 7/8 = -4/8

Since the denominators are the same (8), we simply subtract the numerators (3 – 7), resulting in -4. The resulting fraction -4/8 can be simplified to -1/2, indicating that you have taken away one-half of the whole.

Steps To Subtract Fractions With The Same Denominator

The fraction calculator will reduce the subtraction of a fraction to its simplest form. You can experience the simplicity of fractions with fraction-calculator.net for hassle-free calculations and precise results. In order to get the subtraction of a fraction with the same denominator look at the below steps;

• Use the same denominator when writing the fractions.
• Take the fractions’ numerators and subtract them.
• Maintain the same denominator.
• If required, simplify the fraction.

For example, to subtract 3/8 from 7/8, write the fractions with the same denominator and after that, you would follow these steps:

7/8 – 3/8

Subtract the numerators of the fractions:

7/8 – 3/8 = 4/8

Keep the denominator the same:

4/8 = 1/2

Simplify the fraction if necessary:

1/2 = 0.5

Therefore, 7/8 – 3/8 = 1/2 or 0.5.

Fractions With Different Mathematical Symbols:

Symbol	Symbol Name	Symbol Meaning	Example
+	plus sign	addition	1/2 + 1/3
–	minus sign	subtraction	1/2 – 2/3
×	times sign	multiplication	2/3 × 5/6
:	division sign	division	1/2 : 3
/	division slash	division	1/3 / 5
:	colon	complex fraction	1/2 : 1/3
^	caret	exponentiation/power	1/4^3
()	parentheses	calculate expression	-3/5 – (-1/4)