It is not difficult to add 1/3 and 1/6. If you can see that 1/3 is the same as 2/6 then you are just adding
sixths together. So 2/6 plus 1/6 equals 3/6. You just add the numerators.
This can be easily seen if you are dividing slices of a cake. If the cake is divided into 6 slices, and
you eat 1 piece (1/6) and your friend has 2 pieces (2/6), you have eaten 3/6 of the cake. Because 3 is
half of 6 you can see that you have eaten half of the cake.
Adding fractions is easy. Here is how we would add 1/3 plus 2/5. The standard method is to change
thirds and fifths into the same parts like we did with thirds and sixths.
Here is an easy way to solve 1/3 plus 2/5 that you probably won’t be taught in school. Firstly, we
multiply crossways and add the answers to get the numerator of the answer.
1 × 5 = 5
3 × 2 = 6
5 + 6 = 11
Eleven is the top number (the numerator) of the answer. Now we multiply the bottom numbers
(denominators) to find the denominator of the answer.
3 × 5 = 15
The answer is 11/15.Easy.
Here is another example:Multiply crossways.
3 × 7 = 21
8 × 1 = 8We add the totals for the numerator, which gives us 29. Then we multiply the denominators:
8 × 7 = 56
This is the denominator of the answer.
Our answer is 29/56.
Let’s try one more.