Solve Fraction Addition: 3/9 + 1/9 Step-by-Step

Q: Why don't I add the denominators too?

The denominator tells you the size of each piece. When you have pieces of the same size (like ninths), you're just counting how many pieces total, not changing their size!

Q: What if the denominators were different?

Then you'd need to find a common denominator first! But in this problem, both fractions are already ninths, so you can add directly.

Q: How can I visualize this problem?

Imagine a pizza cut into 9 slices. You have 3 slices plus 1 more slice = 4 slices total. You still have a pizza cut into 9 pieces, just more slices!

Q: Should I simplify my answer?

Always check if you can simplify! In this case, $ \frac{4}{9} $ cannot be simplified further because 4 and 9 share no common factors.

Fraction Addition with Like Denominators

Solve the following exercise:

$\frac{3}{9}+\frac{1}{9}=\text{?}$

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Solve

00:03 Let's divide our one rectangle into 9 parts

00:06 Let's color 3 parts (3 ninths) in red

00:11 Let's color one part in green

00:14 Let's combine the parts and get the numerator result

00:17 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

Solve the following exercise:

$\frac{3}{9}+\frac{1}{9}=\text{?}$

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow a straightforward approach to adding fractions with like denominators:

Consider the fractions given: $\frac{3}{9}$ and $\frac{1}{9}$ .

Step 1: Since both fractions have the same denominator, we add their numerators: $3 + 1 = 4$ .
Step 2: Keep the denominator the same: 9.
Step 3: Resulting in the fraction: $\frac{4}{9}$ .

The computation confirms that the addition of these fractions results in $\frac{4}{9}$ .

Therefore, the correct solution to the problem is $\frac{4}{9}$ , which corresponds to choice 3.

Final Answer

$\frac{4}{9}$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Rule: When denominators are the same, add only the numerators
Technique: Add numerators 3 + 1 = 4, keep denominator 9
Check: Visual representation shows 4 out of 9 parts shaded ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Adding both numerators and denominators
Don't add 3+1 and 9+9 to get 4/18! This creates a completely different fraction with wrong value. Always add only the numerators when denominators are identical.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

$$ $\frac{4}{5}+\frac{1}{5}=$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why don't I add the denominators too?

The denominator tells you the size of each piece. When you have pieces of the same size (like ninths), you're just counting how many pieces total, not changing their size!

What if the denominators were different?

Then you'd need to find a common denominator first! But in this problem, both fractions are already ninths, so you can add directly.

How can I visualize this problem?

Imagine a pizza cut into 9 slices. You have 3 slices plus 1 more slice = 4 slices total. You still have a pizza cut into 9 pieces, just more slices!

Should I simplify my answer?

Always check if you can simplify! In this case, $\frac{4}{9}$ cannot be simplified further because 4 and 9 share no common factors.

Can I convert to decimals instead?

You could, but the problem asks for a fraction answer. Plus, $\frac{4}{9}$ = 0.444... which is a repeating decimal - fractions are cleaner here!

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