Continuing from the last blog / Part 1

Next you need to understand the parts of the fraction. 

Let's start with the Bottom Number. What is it, and why is it there? 

The Bottom Number, or the Denominator, is the “name” of the fraction. The root of the word, -nom-, actually means “name.” Words are important in math, too! 

So the Denominator tells us 2 things: how many parts our whole is divided into, and what to call these parts.  When we see a 4 in the Denominator of a fraction, it means we have broken something into 4 equal parts, and we call those parts "Fourths." 

The top number, or the Numerator, is the number of those parts we have.  When we see the fraction 3/4, it tells us that we have 3 out of the 4 equal parts.

At this point, you need to remember that there is a fine line between the Numerator and the Denominator.  Only 3 out of 2 people will get that fraction joke! (Those are the only two Fractions jokes I know.)

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So why do you need Common Denominators when adding or subtracting fractions? 

The explanation is very simple when you remember that the Denominator simply means, “The name of the fraction”. It tells you what you’re dealing with. If you buy 3 apples, then you buy 2 more apples, together you bought 5 apples.

3/apples +2/apples = 5/apples

However, if you buy 3 apples and 2 bananas, you can’t add them because they aren’t the same thing. You don’t have 5 banapples! You can’t add or subtract things with different names. You have to find a common “name” for these items.

So if you change the “name” to fruit – it works!

3/fruit + 2/fruit = 5/fruit!

Fractions work the same way! 

3 apples + 2 apples = 5 apples

- Or - 

3 elephants + 2 elephants = 5 elephants  

- Or -

3 sevenths (3/7) + 2 sevenths (2/7) = 5 sevenths (5/7). 

You have to think of the Denominator not as a number, but as a "name". 

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more explainations are continuing in the next blog...