Sign Up
School Account Sign Up
Contributor: Stefani Allegretti. Lesson ID: 14177
Fractions are all around, especially when cooking or baking! Get ready to have fun learning how to add and subtract mixed numbers with the same denominator!
If you have, you've probably used mixed numbers without even realizing it!
Imagine your recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups of sugar. That's a mixed number — a whole number plus a fraction.
Dive into a mixed-number adventure and discover how adding and subtracting them can help you both in the kitchen and beyond!
Understanding how to add and subtract mixed numbers can help you in everyday situations, such as cooking, baking, and more!
A mixed number (or mixed fraction) is a whole number and a fraction combined. For example, 1 3/4 is a mixed number.
Here are some examples of different types of fractions.
It’s easier than you think!
Adding Mixed Numbers
Imagine a baker is making a cake. The recipe calls for 1 2/4 cups of brown sugar and 1 1/4 cups of white sugar.
First, add the whole numbers.
1 + 1 = 2
Super simple!
Next, add the numerators (the top numbers) of the fraction.
| 2 | + | 1 | = | 3 | |
| 4 | 4 | 4 |
So, the total is 2 3/4 cups of sugar!
Subtracting Mixed Numbers
Say you have 3 3/5 cups of sugar but must subtract 1 1/5 cups.
| 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | = | ? | ||
| 5 | 5 |
First, subtract the whole numbers.
3 - 1 = 2
Then, subtract the numerators of the fractions.
| 3 | - | 1 | = | 2 | |
| 5 | 5 | 5 |
So, the answer is 2 2/5 cups of sugar!
Nice work! You're on your way to becoming a mixed-number pro.
Check out this video for more examples of adding and subtracting mixed numbers in action.
When ready, head to the Got It? section for more practice!
Supplies
FAVORITE
Like