How do you work out unlike fraction?

Answer 1

You find a common denominator

1/2 + 1/3... need a common denominator. 6 would work and it is the smallest number that does so it is the least common denominator or LCD.

12, 24 etc also work.

Let's use 6

multiply the top and bottom of 1/2, known as numerator and denominator, by 3. We multiply by 3 because we want 6 in the bottom of denominator and 2x3=6. But since we multiply the bottom by 3 we must do it to the top too. We have 3/6 = 1/2 Now it is important to know that we are multiplying 1/2 by 3/3 and 3/3 is 1. Multiply by 1 does not change anything. That is why we are allowed to do this

Do the same thing with 1/3 but multiply by 2/2 and we have 2/6 now we are adding 2/6 and 3/6 which is 5/6