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- 107
- êêèADDING FRACTIONS, INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
-
- è In this section we will be looking at adding positive and/or nega-
- tive fractions.ïYou recall in the Elementary Level that when you add
- two positive fractions, you always get a positive answer in return.ïIn
- this level we will have to consider the possibilities of adding one
- positive fraction and one negative fraction, and adding two negative
- fractions.ïWe will do this is two cases.ïIn case one we will look
- at adding two positive fractions or two negative fractions. Case
- two will involve adding two fractions with one positive and one nega-
- tive.ïIn each of ç possible cases we will also consider adding
- fractions with the same denominators and with different denominators.
- That is a total of six combinations with which to deal.ïYou can see
- why working with fractions is a difficult proposition.ïWe will ap-
- proach this very systematically, however, by stating two rules that
- cover all cases.ïFirst, we will describe the set of all fractions in
- the following list.ïThis set of numbers is often called the Rational
- Numbers.
- êêêêïFractions
-
- #êë ... -╩ï-╔è╚è╔è╩è╦è╠è═è╬ ...
- êêè 1è1è1è1è1è1è1è1è1
-
- #êë ... -╩ï-╔è╚è╔è╩è╦è╠è═è╬ ...
- êêè 2è2è2è2è2è2è2è2è2
-
- #êë ... -╦ï-╔è╚è╔è╩è╦è╠è═è╬ ...
- êêè 3è3è3è3è3è3è3è3è3
- êêêê.
- êêêê.
- êêêê.
-
- Case 1)èThe first case involves adding two positive fractions or add-
- ing two negative fractions.ïThese two problem types are covered by the
- following rule for adding fractions with the same signs.
-
- Rule 1)ïTo add two fractions that are both positive, just add them like
- we did in the Elementary Level.ïTo add two fractions that are both
- negative and have the same denominators, write down the common denomina-
- tor once and add the two negative numbers in the numerators.ïTo add
- two fractions that are both negative and have different denominators,
- first write the fractions with common denominators.ïThen write down the
- common denominator once and combine the two negative numbers in the nu-
- merators.
-
- Examples
-
- ï1) Both fractions positive, and both fractions with the same denomi-
- ënator.
- êê 5è11êï5 + 11êï16êï4
- #êê── + ──è =è ──────è =è ──è =è ─
- êê12è12êè 12êè 12êï3
-
- The answer can be left in this form or changed to the mixed number,
- êêêêê1
- #êêêêë1 ─.
- êêêêê3
-
- 2) Both fractions positive, but different denominators.
-
- êë1è2ê1è5è2è3ê 5è 6ê11
- #êë─ + ─è=è─ ∙ ─ + ─ ∙ ─è=è── + ──è=è──
- êë3è5ê3è5è5è3ê15è15ê15
-
- 3) Both fractions negative, and both with the same denominator.
-
- êè -2è-3ê(-2) + (-3)ê-5êï5
- #êè ── + ──è=è───────────è=è──èorï- ─
- êë7è 7êë7êë 7êï7
-
- 4) Both fractions negative, but different denominators.
-
- ï-1è-3ê-1 5è-3 4ê-5è-12ê(-5) + (-12)êï17
- #ï── + ──è=è──∙─ + ──∙─è=è── + ───è=è────────────è=è- ──
- è4è 5ê 4 5è 5 4ê20è 20êë20êê20
-
- Case 2)ïThis case involves adding two fractions when one is negative
- and the other is positive.ïThis problem type is covered by rule num-
- ber two.
-
- Rule 2)ïTo add two fractions when one is positive and the other is
- negative, first write the problem so that the denominators are the same.
- Then, write down the common denominator once and combine the positive
- number and the negative number in the numerator.
-
- Examples
-
- 1)ïOne fraction negative and one fraction positive, and both fractions
- ëwith the same denominator.
- êë2è-5ê2 + (-5)ê-3ê-1êè1
- #ëa)ë─ + ──è=è────────è=è──è=è──èorè- ─
- êë9è 9êè9êë9ê 3êè3
-
- êë5è-1ê5 + (-1)ê 4
- #ëb)ë─ + ──è=è────────è=è──
- êë7è 7êè7êë7
-
- 2)ïOne fraction negative and one fraction positive, but with differ-
- ëent denominators.
- ë -2è2ê-2 3è2 5ê-6è10ê-6 + 10ê 4
- #ïa)ï── + ─è=è──∙─ + ─∙─è=è── + ──è=è───────è=è──
- ê5è3ê 5 3è3 5ê15è15êè15êï15
-
- ë -4è1ê-4 2è1 5ê-8è 5ê-8 + 5ê -3
- #ïb)ï── + ─è=è──∙─ + ─∙─è=è── + ──è=è──────è =è──
- ê5è2ê 5 2è2 5ê10è10êè10êï10
-
-