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Adding
Add two fractions whose denominators differ by finding the LCD and converting to equivalent fractions:
Step 1 — Find the LCD and rewrite: Factor each denominator: and . The LCD is . The denominator is missing one factor of , so multiply the first fraction by ; the denominator is missing one factor of , so multiply the second fraction by :
Step 2 — Add: Combine the numerators over the common denominator: .
Step 3 — Simplify: Because is prime, it shares no factor with , so the result is already in simplest form.
Important: do not simplify the equivalent fractions before adding — doing so would undo the common denominator and return the original fractions.
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