can someone PLEASE help on an algebra 1 question ?

Question

johnweldon1993 · Answer

Is that what that fraction is? Blurry...

anyways...when you are adding (or subtracting) fractions...they must have a common (same) denominator (bottom) ... if they don't you need to make that happen...

Example:

 1       3
-- +  -- = ?
 2      16

We cannot add them...2 obviously is not 16....so how do we make it 16? Well...we multiply that whole first equation by 8 right? because we know 8 * 2 = 16  ...so

 1 * 8         3
------ +  ---
 2 * 8         16

Becomes

 8       3
-- +  --
16     16

NOW we can add!

what is 8 + 3? Well that is 11...

important...do now add the denominators...(bottoms) those simply stay the same...

So this final answer would be

 11
---
 16

Make sense?

anonymous · Answer

I know how to add the fractions, I just don't get how in this problem it's 1/4 plus 3/16... the 1/4 is from the previous figure, and 3 is the number of triangles cut out in the 3rd figure. But where did the total of 16 come from

johnweldon1993 · Answer

Ohh I see what you're asking...well let me draw it...

johnweldon1993 · Answer

|dw:1392342132310:dw|

johnweldon1993 · Answer

|dw:1392342195970:dw|

johnweldon1993 · Answer

All that was missing from you immediately seeing 16 triangles...is they only showed the giant triangle...not how many spaces it occupied....which I drew in above

anonymous · Answer

ohh so how do i find how many are in the next sequence?