JobTestPrep's Numeracy Review

Fractions
Table of contents

What is a fraction? 3

Mixed Fractions 4

Cancelling Down 5

Adding Fractions 5

Lowest Common Denominator 6

Subtracting Fractions 7

Multiplying Fractions 7

Dividing Fractions 8

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What is a fraction?

Fractions are another way to display division. If the number above the fraction line (the
numerator) is smaller than the number below the line (the denominator), it means that the
total value of the fraction is between 0 and 1. These are called proper fractions.

Examples:

If the numerator and the denominator are equal, the value is exactly 1.

Examples:

If the numerator is greater than the denominator, the total value is greater than 1. These
are called improper fractions.

Examples:

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Mixed Fractions

A Mixed fraction is a fraction which is composed of a whole number and a fraction. For
example:

is one and one sixth, or is two and a quarter, or

Improper fractions can always be expressed as mixed fractions, and vice verse

Converting improper fractions to mixed fractions:

To perform this conversion one must divide the numerator by the denominator. The
number of times that the denominator is completely contained within the numerator
would become the whole number. The remainder would be expressed as a proper
fraction.

Examples:

Converting mixed fractions to improper fractions:

To perform this conversion one must multiply the denominator by the whole number, and
add this result to the numerator. This sum would be the new numerator, while the
denominator remains the same.

Examples:

( )

( )

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Cancelling down

Some fractions may look different but actually have the same value.
For example:

Multiplying or dividing both numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same

number maintains the value of the fraction. Sometimes we perform this operation to help
our calculations. This operation is called "cancelling down". When we use a fraction, we
usually give it in its simplest form. To do this we look at the numerator and the
denominator and see if there is a number by which both can be divided with no
remainder.

Two examples:

Adding Fractions

When the denominators (the bottom lines) are all the same, you simply add the top line
(numerators).

For example:

When the denominators are different, we need to change the fractions so that the
denominators are the same. Only then we could add the top line as above.

At times, all we need to do is to cancel down the fraction with the greater denominator, for
example:

At most times this action is insufficient and we actually need to find a new denominator.
That action is called "finding a common denominator". The simplest way to find a common
denominator is to multiply both current denominators, and the product would be the new
denominator. The numerator from the first fraction is multiplied by the denominator of the

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second fraction and is added to a multiplication of the numerator of the second fraction by
the denominator of the first, to form the new numerator.

For example:

If possible, cancel down after you finish adding.

LCM – Lowest Common Denominator

Multiplying both denominators may be the simplest way to get a common denominator,
but might not be the most convenient way. In order to work with the smallest numbers,
which are the easiest to perform calculations with, we look for the lowest common
denominator, or LCM.
The LCM is the smallest number, which can be divided by both denominators.

For example:

Multiplying the denominators would give 75. This is not the most convenient number to
work with. The number 15 can be divided by both 15 (15:1=15) and 5 (15:5=3). Therefore,
we shall use 15 as the common denominator. In such cases, the coefficients for
multiplying each of the numerators will be the quotients of the common denominator and
the previous denominator.

Continuing with the example:

Another example:

The LCM is 12. Now we can calculate the coefficients.

12:4 = 3; 12:6 = 2;

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Subtracting Fractions

Subtracting is done the same way as adding fractions, except for the fact that there will be
a minus sign in the numerator, and the order of the numbers in the numerator would
be important.

For example:

If possible, cancel down after you finish subtracting.

Another example:

The LCM is 50. Now we can calculate the coefficients.

50:25 = 2; 50:10 = 5;

Multiplying Fractions

Multiplying fractions is a rather simple operation: All you have to do is to multiply the
numerators to form a new numerator, and to multiply the denominators to form a new
denominator.

For example:

While multiplying fractions, it is possible and advised to cancel down the multiplication
before calculating the product. It'll make the action simpler. Cancelling down can be
done even by using the numerator of the first fraction and the denominator of other, and
vice verse. For example:

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Dividing Fractions

Dividing two fractions is quite similar to multiplying fractions with a slight change.

This division action has the same result as multiplying the first fraction by the inverse of
the second fraction:

Notice that what we have done is multiplying the numerator of the first fraction by the
denominator of the second fraction to form the new numerator, and multiplying the
denominator of the first fraction by the numerator of the second, to form the new
denominator. Remember that the order of the numbers is important.

Let's look at another example:

Dividing fractions by a whole number – if either the dividend or the divisor are whole
numbers rather than fractions, one can always perform a quick conversion of the whole
number to a fraction, and then continue as explained above. For example:

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In conclusion, it is advised to be familiar with commonly used fractions and the ratios
between them. Do remember that multiplying a denominator by a number, divides the
value of the total fraction by the same value.

For example:

Good Luck!

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