Help with 11 year olds math homework!!!

[hang a left]

OK I am stupid.

My son has to explain in words the concept of adding fractions with common denominators and unlike denominators. I know how to do the math problems, but I am having difficulty finding the words to describe how you do it. Know what I mean? He is making a math book and has to describe how you do certain math problems.

If you could help, I would appreciate it sooooooo much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[LynzM]

1. A suggestion....

Have him explain it to you as he does it, and take notes for him. Then help him transcribe those notes into directions. Do it for several different problems and compare the notes.... Good luck!

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7. Thanks

[hobo_baggins]

2. if its common denominators, you just add the top numbers...

if they're uncommon, you have to get em common by finding the first number both bottom numbers will divide into, then multiply the top numbers by the amount of times the old bottom number goes into the new bottom number, then add....

...or something like that.

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8. thanks!!

[JVS]

3. Just say that you can't add fractions unless the denominator is the same..

So you multiply both parts of each fraction by the other fraction's denominator so that they match. You add the numerators together and put the result in the most reduced terms

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9. thank you

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Well, it's simple - with common denominators,

one simply adds all the numerators together and puts them "over" the denominator - one does not add or subtract or do anything with the denominator at all.

For unequal denominators, one must equalize all the fractions into a Common Denominator, finding the one lowest number into which all the denominators in question factor.

One then multiplies, individually, the numerator and denominator by whatever the factor number is (or one could say, multiplies the fraction by a fraction of the form factor/factor, which is always equal to one) - e.g., if one has 1/2 and 1/7 and wants to add them, the lowest common multiple of the denominators is 14. So, to get 14, one multiples 2 by 7, so one multiplies 1/2 by 7/7; and one multiplies 7 by 2, so one multiplies 1/7 by 2/2

this results in: 7/14 + 2/14 which is 9/14 and not reducable.

Likewise, 7/9 + 16/12 is 28/36 + 48/36 (or 7/9 + 12/9, if you want to be really tricky) = 76/36, which is 19/9
or 2 1/9

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6. My beautiful son said to say Thank You!!!!!

:)

[southlandshari]

5. Egads!

I'm helped my six-year-old with her math homework earlier tonight. It's right about at the top of my expertise already!

:blush:


I'm taking names on this thread for consultation in a few years!

;)

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10. lol

[hfojvt]

12. This was a Nancy cartoon

You have six moon pies and three of your friends ask you for one, how many do you have left?




and Nancy answered.




Friends or moon pies?

[southlandshari]

13. LOL!

I'd give away moon pies before I'd lose friends any day of the week!

:hug:

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11. You guys are the best!!!

My son couldn't believe all of you that came to his rescue. He was very impressed and said to say thank you to all of you. :hug:

[NNadir]

14. My suggestion is to tell him to give up math and get an MBA.

He can always read "The Harvard Business Review" and move papers around on his desk. He will need to learn to use terms like "self-actualization" and "ROI" and "RFQ" and "strategic design" and "targeted demographic markets." He will not actually have to mean anything.

This is what matters in the American economy.

Later he can get work as a migrant worker in Mexico or, if he's lucky, China.

However, if you insist that he do math, reduce both fractions to their simplest ratio, eliminating all common factors in the denominators and numerators of each fraction. For instance you would reduce 12/16 to 3/4 or 9/33 to 3/11. Suppose the resulting fractions have the form n/m and p/q. Multiply n/m times q/q. You will have nq/mq. Multiply p/q by m/m. The resulting fraction will be (nq + pm)/mq. I hope that's clear, but that's all there is to it.

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15. Hey, I missed your post.

Thanks alot. BTW he is going to be a professional baseball player :)

[NNadir]

16. You're welcome. Have him work on his MBA in the off season.

Just in case he has a rotator cuff injury or something like that.

[hang a left]

17. Will do.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Hey tell him to do his own homework

Teacher here.

No cheating allowed. :)

[ChoralScholar]

19. Fractions are akin to slices of a pie...

(you should always mention pie when referring to fractions)

In order to add and subtract accurately, the pie slices must be the same size.