Today we will see how to add a mixed number and a whole number. It’s easy, let’s see the examples.
Content
Before we see the examples, recall that a proper fraction is a fraction where the numerator (the top number) is less than the denominator (the bottom number). Also, a mixed number is the sum of a whole number and a proper fraction, take a look at the image below.
1) Add 52/3 + 4
We start by rewriting the mixed number (52/3) as the sum of a whole number (5) and a proper fraction (2/3).
Then, we add the whole numbers together (5 + 4).
Finally, we rewrite the sum of the whole number (9) and the proper fraction (2/3) as a mixed number.
The final answer is 92/3.
2) Add 71/4 + 6
First, we rewrite the mixed number (71/4) as the sum of a whole number (7) and a proper fraction (1/4).
Next, we add the whole numbers together (7 + 6).
And here we have the sum of a whole number (13) and a proper fraction (1/4), so we could rewrite this sum as a mixed number.
The resulting mixed number is 131/4.
Quick method for adding a mixed number and a whole number
There is a faster way to add a mixed number and a whole number, we just need to follow these steps:
- Add the whole numbers.
- Add the fractional part of the mixed number to the sum of the whole numbers.
Take a look at the examples below.
Video
In the following video, we will see more examples of adding a mixed number to a whole number.
References
For this lesson, we have used this book:
- Tussy, K., Gustafson, D. y Koenig, D. (2013). Prealgebra (4th ed.; pp. 374-378). Cengage Learning.