How do you add mixed numbers with unlike denominators? - Answers

To add mixed numbers you first convert them into improper fractions and then get the common denominator out and cross multiply and add the numerators and put the whole thing over the denominator. Sounds confusing? Here's an example: 1 1/2 + 2 3/5. First step: convert So 1 1/2 is the same as 3/2 and 2 3/5 is the same as 13/5, so we have 3/2 + 13/5 Second step: common denominator The easy way to do this is to multiply the denominators together, so you you do 2 times 5 = 10, which is the common denominator Third step: cross multiply This is fairly straightforward, you have 3/2 + 13/5, so you do 3(numerator) times 5(denominator) + 13(numerator) times 2(denominator) so you achieve the result 15 + 26 = 41, so this is the numerator End: So all you do is put the numerator over the denominator so you have 41 over 10 which is the same as 4 1/10