Chapter 2

Fractions
Practical Business Math Procedures, 12th Edition
Jeffrey Slater and Sharon Wittry

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2017 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Learning unit objectives
LU 2-1: Types of Fractions and Conversion Procedures
1. Recognize the three types of fractions.
2. Convert improper fractions to whole or mixed numbers and mixed numbers to
improper fractions.
3. Convert fractions to lowest and highest terms.
LU 2-2: Adding and Subtraction of Fractions
1. Add like and unlike fractions.
2. Find the least common denominator (LCD) by inspection and prime numbers.
3. Subtract like and unlike fractions.
4. Add and subtract mixed numbers with the same or different denominators.

LU 2-3: Multiplying and Dividing Fractions

1. Multiply and divide proper fractions and mixed numbers.
2. Use the cancellation method in the multiplication and division of fractions.
Types of Fractions

Numerator Proper
Proper fractions have a value
less than 1; its numerator is 1, 1, 1, 4, 18
smaller than its denominator. 4 2 12 7 55

Denominator
Types of Fractions

Numerator
Improper Fractions
Improper fractions have a value
equal to or greater than 1; its
14, 7, 15, 22
numerator is equal to or
14 6 14 19
greater than its denominator.

Denominator
Types of Fractions

Mixed Numbers

Mixed numbers are the sum of a

5 1, 5 9, 8 7, 335, 1399
whole number greater than zero and 6 10 8 6 11
a proper fraction
Converting Improper Fractions to
Whole or Mixed Numbers
2 Steps
15
1. Divide the numerator of the 15 =1
improper fraction by the
denominator

2. a. If you have no remainder, 16 1

the quotient is a whole = 3
number 5 5

3R1
2 b. If you have a remainder,
5 16
the quotient is a mixed
15
number.The remainder is
1
placed over the old
denominator as the proper
fraction of the mixed
number.
Converting Mixed Numbers to
Improper Fractions
6 1
3 Steps 8
1. Multiply the denominator of the (8 x 6) = 48
fraction by the whole number.

2. Add the product from Step 1 to (8 x 6) = 48

the numerator of the old fraction. 48 + 1 = 49

3. Place the total from Step 2 over

the denominator of the old 49
fraction to get the improper 8
fraction.
REDUCING FRACTIONS TO LOWEST TERMS BY
INSPECTION
• Step 1. By inspection, find • EXAMPLE
the largest whole number
(greatest common divisor)
that will divide evenly into
the numerator and
denominator (does not
change the fraction value).
• Step 2. Now you have
reduced the fraction to its
lowest terms, since no
number (except 1) can
divide evenly into the
numerator and
denominator.

8
 STEP APPROACH FOR FINDING GREATEST
COMMON DIVISOR
• Step 1. Divide the smaller
number (numerator) of the
fraction into the larger
number (denominator).
• Step 2. Divide the remainder
of Step 1 into the divisor of
Step 1.
• Step 3. Divide the remainder
of Step 2 into the divisor of
Step 2. Continue this division
process until the remainder
is a 0, which means the last
divisor is the greatest
common divisor.
9
Converting (Raising) Fractions to
Higher Terms

• EXAMPLE

10
RAISING FRACTIONS TO HIGHER TERMS
WHEN DENOMINATOR IS KNOWN
• Step 1. Divide the new • EXAMPLE
denominator by the
old denominator to get • Step 1. Divide 28 by 7
the common number = 4.
that raises the fraction
to higher terms. • Step 2. Multiply 4 by
• Step 2. Multiply the the numerator 4 = 16.
common number from
Step 1 by the old
numerator and place it
as the new numerator
over the new
denominator.
11
12
LU 2–1a EXTRA PRACTICE QUIZ

Assignment #1

13
Reducing Fractions to Lowest
Terms by Inspection

Find the lowest whole number 24 24 / 6 4

that will divide evenly into the = =
30 30 / 6 5
numerator and denominator.
Finding the Greatest Common Divisor
24
30
1
Step 1. Divide the 24 30
numerator into the 24
denominator. 6

4
Step 2. Divide the remainder in 6 24
Step 1 into the divisor of Step 1. 24
0

Step 3. Divide the remainder of 24 / 6 = 4

Step 2 into the divisor of Step 2. 30 / 6 5
Continue until the remainder is
0.
Divisibility Tests

2 3 4
Last digit is Sum of the Last two
2,4,6,8 digits is digits can
divisible by 3 be divided
by 4

12 6 36 12 140 1(40)
= = =
14 7 69 23 160 1(60)
3+6=9/3=3 35 7
=
6 + 9 = 15 / 3 = 5 40 8
Divisibility Tests

5 6 10
Last digit is The number is even The last digit
0 or 5 and 3 will divide is 0
into the sum of the
digits

15 = 3 12 = 2 90 9
=
20 4 18 3 100 10
Raising Fractions to Higher Terms
When Denominator is Known
4 = ?
7 28
2 Steps
1. Divide the new denominator by the old 4
denominator to get the common number 7 28
that raises the fraction to higher terms. 28
0

2. Multiply the common number from Step 1

by the old numerator and place it as the
new numerator over the new denominator. 4 x 4 = 16

16
28
Adding Like Fractions

• Add the numerators and place the total 1 4 5

over the denominator. 7 + 7 = 7

• If the total of your numerators is the same

as your original denominator, convert your
answer to a whole number. If the total is 5+ 6 = 11 2
= 1
larger than your original denominator, 9 9 9 9
convert your answer to a mixed number.
Least Common Denominator
(LCD)
3 5
• The smallest nonzero whole number
into which ALL denominators will divide 7 + 21
evenly.

What is the least common denominator? 7

42

21
Adding Unlike Fractions

4 Steps 1 + 1 +1 +1
1. Find the LCD. 3 8 9 12

2. Change each fraction to a like fraction

with the LCD.
24 + 9 +8 +6 =47
3. Add the numerators and place the total 72 72 72 72 72
over the LCD.
4. If necessary, reduce the answer to
lowest terms.
Prime Numbers
A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that is only divisible
by itself and 1. The number 1 is not a prime number.

Examples

2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43

Adding Mixed Numbers
4 7 7
4
20 20
3 Steps
3 12
6 6
1. Add the fractions. 5 20
2. Add the whole numbers. 1 5
+7 +7
3. Combine steps 1 & 2. Be sure you do not 4 20
have an improper fraction in your final Step 1 24 4
answer. If necessary, reduce the answer 20 20
= 1
to
lowest terms. 4+6+7 = 17
4
Step 2 18
20
Step 3 18 1
5
Subtracting Like Fractions

2 Steps

1. Subtract the numerators and 9 - 1 = 8

10 10 10
place the total over the
denominator

8 / 2 = 4
2. If necessary, reduce the answer 10 / 2 5
to lowest terms.
Subtracting Unlike Fractions
4 Steps
5 2
Step 1. Find the LCD. -
8 64

Step 2. Raise the fraction to its equivalent value. 5 = 40

8 64

Step 3. Subtract the numerators and place the 40 - 2 = 38

answer over the LCD. 64 64 64

Step 4. If necessary, reduce the answer to lowest 38 = 19

terms. 64 32
Subtracting Mixed Numbers
When Borrowing Is Not Necessary:

3 Steps
Step 1. Subtract fractions, making sure to 61 64
find the LCD. 2 8

Step 2. Subtract whole numbers.

_ 3 3
Step 3. Reduce the fractions to lowest 8 8
terms.
61
8
Subtracting Mixed Numbers
When Borrowing Is Necessary:
4 Steps
2 2 6
Step 1. Make sure the fractions have the LCD. 31 3
2 4 4

3 3
Step 2. Borrow from the whole number. -1 3 -1 4 -1
4 4
Step 3. Subtract whole numbers and
fractions. 3
1
4
Step 4. Reduce the fractions to lowest terms.
28
29
LU 2–2a EXTRA PRACTICE QUIZ

30
Multiplying Proper Fractions
2 Steps
Step 1. Multiply the numerator and the
denominator. 5 1 4 20 = 10
x x =
Step 2. Reduce the answer to lowest 1 6 7 42 21
terms.
Multiplying Mixed Numbers
Convert the mixed numbers
to improper fractions.

1
21 X 11 =
7 X3 =7 =1 3
3 2 3 2 2 2
1

Multiply the numerator Reduce the answer to lowest terms.

and denominators.
 Dividing Proper Fractions

Invert (turn upside down) the

divisor (the second fraction). Multiply the fractions.

.
1
8 . 2
3
= 1
8
X3
2
=3
16

Reduce the answer to

lowest terms.
Dividing Mixed Numbers

1. Convert all mixed

numbers to improper
fractions.
3. Reduce the
answer to lowest
terms.

8 3 X 25 =
35 X6 105
=
3
= 3
4 6 4 17 34 34

2. Invert the divisor and

multiply.
35
LU 2–3a EXTRA PRACTICE QUIZ

36
Problem 2-38
Seventy-seven million people were born between 1946 and 1964. The U.S. Census
classifies this group of individuals as baby boomers. It is said that today, and every
day for the next 18 years, 10,000 baby boomers will reach 65. If 1/4 of the 65 and
older age group uses e-mail, 1/5 obtains the news from the Internet, and 1/6
searches the Internet, find the LCD and determine total technology usage for this age
group as a fraction. LU 2-2(1, 2)

Solution:
LCD 60
1 1 1 15 12 10 37
+ + = + + =
4 5 6 60 60 60 60
Problem 2-46
A trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire from Boston will take you 2 and ¾
hours. Assume you have traveled 10/11 of the way. How much longer will the trip
take? LU 2-3(1, 2)

Solution:

5 1
10 11 5 1
x 4 = = 2 2 hours
11 2
1 2
Problem 2-56
Albertsons grocery planned a big sale on apples and received 750 crates from
the wholesale market. Albertsons will bag these apples in plastic. Each plastic
bag holds 1/9 of a crate. If Albertsons has no loss to perishables, how many bags
of apples can be prepared? LU 2-3(1)

Solution:

750 / 1 = 750 x 9 = 6,750 bags

9