Summary: Adding and Subtracting Fractions With Different Denominators

Key Concepts

• Find the least common denominator (LCD) of two fractions.
  1. Factor each denominator into its primes.
  2. List the primes, matching primes in columns when possible.
  3. Bring down the columns.
  4. Multiply the factors. The product is the LCM of the denominators.
  5. The LCM of the denominators is the LCD of the fractions.
• Equivalent Fractions Property
  • If [latex]a,b[/latex] , and [latex]c[/latex] are whole numbers where [latex]b\ne 0[/latex] , [latex]c\ne 0[/latex] then[latex]\frac{a}{b}=\frac{a\cdot c}{b\cdot c}[/latex] and [latex]\frac{a\cdot c}{b\cdot c}=\frac{a}{b}[/latex]
• Convert two fractions to equivalent fractions with their LCD as the common denominator.
  1. Find the LCD.
  2. For each fraction, determine the number needed to multiply the denominator to get the LCD.
  3. Use the Equivalent Fractions Property to multiply the numerator and denominator by the number from Step 2.
  4. Simplify the numerator and denominator.
• Add or subtract fractions with different denominators.
  1. Find the LCD.
  2. Convert each fraction to an equivalent form with the LCD as the denominator.
  3. Add or subtract the fractions.
  4. Write the result in simplified form.

Glossary

least common denominator (LCD)

The least common denominator (LCD) of two fractions is the least common multiple (LCM) of their denominators.

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