How do I add 1/2 + 1/3?
How to add fractions with different denominators: 1/2 + 1/3 shown with fraction bars, rewritten in sixths as 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6.
Step-by-step explanation
- To add fractions with different denominators like one-half and one-third, we first visualize them as parts of a whole.
- Because the pieces are different sizes, we cannot add them directly. We need a common denominator, so we split one-half into three-sixths.
- Similarly, one-third can be subdivided into two-sixths to match the same grid size.
- Now that both fractions use sixths, we simply add the numerators: three plus two equals five-sixths.
This is a real answer from Math Motion AI: the explanation and the animation were made by the site for this question.