Adding and subtracting fractions
Put fractions side by side on bars, then add and subtract them. When the denominators are different, make the parts the same size first.
📖 Start here: read the steps of the “Lesson” in order (1, 2, 3 …) and answer each question. Then continue with “Practice”.
- UK: Year 3
- France: grade 2
- Germany: grade 6
- Iran: grade 4
- Afghanistan: grade 4
- Syria: grade 3
- Palestine: grade 4
- Ukraine: grade 5
- Russia: grade 5
Guide
Each bar is one whole. The blue parts are already coloured: that is what you have. The parts you shade turn orange: that is what you add.
When the denominators are the same, all the parts are the same size. So you just count parts: add the numerators and keep the denominator.
When the denominators are different, the parts are different sizes and you can't count them together. Use the + and − buttons to split the bar again until the parts are the same size. This is called finding a common denominator.