How to subtract Mixed Fractions! YOU CAN DO IT!

5 ¼ - 1 ½ WHAT DO YOU DO? 

Work on the fraction side first…. 5 ¼ - 1 ½ Find the common denominator! LCD for 4 and 2 is? YES! 4!!!!!!

Now Remember? Whatever you do to the bottom of the fraction, you must do to the top of the fraction. You knew that already, didn’t you! 5 ¼ = ½ = 4

Oh NO!!!!! 5 ¼ = ½ = 4 The top fraction is smaller than the bottom fraction! You will need to add some of the whole number to the top fraction to make it bigger. Take a fraction that means ‘one whole’ from the whole number of 5. HOW DO YOU DO THAT? HELP !!!!!!

First you must take one whole group from the whole number side. Oh no! How do you do that? WATCH: 5 ¼ the fraction tells you that it takes 4 pieces to make a whole SO….If you have 5 wholes and ¼ more then you must have: 5 sets of 4 and ¼ piece more

Break up one of the whole pieces into ……. well…… PIECES! Add the pieces to the one piece you already had! Now your have 4 wholes and five 4 th size pieces ARE YOU CONFUSED? Hang in there …… the fun has just begun!

Well now you have 4 whole sets and 5 pieces it still equals 5 and ¼ it just looks different 4 5/4 NEXT STEP…. You now have enough pieces on the fraction side to subtract 2 pieces from it =

Now just subtract the whole numbers! YOU DID IT!!!! I am so proud of you.