[scheduled:: 2025-01-08]

Mixed number operations

Concept summary and connections

Worked examples

How to solve problems with mixed numbers:

For problems that have multiplication anywhere in them

This approach also works perfectly well for pure addition/subtraction, but sometimes the mixed numbers will be easy enough to work with that you can just add and subtract them without converting to fractions first.

  1. Write the problem down fully
  2. On the next line, rewrite the problem with all mixed numbers converted to pure fractions
  3. Solve by the usual process of gathering like terms, simplifying, and applying rules. Each step gets its own line, intermediate calculations go off to the side

For problems that are purely addition and subtraction

  1. Write the problem down
  2. gather all of the fractional parts (again with signs attached) and change bases so that they all have a common denominator
  3. Add and subtract as needed
  4. Simplify the fraction by eliminating common factors
  5. Convert the fraction to a mixed number if it is improper
  6. Add the whole-number part to the rest of the whole numbers and solve the whole-number part for the whole problem.

Media resources

Guided practice