Solve the Fraction Addition: 1/4 + 1/3

Because fractions represent parts of a whole! $\frac{1}{4}$ means 1 piece out of 4, while $\frac{1}{3}$ means 1 piece out of 3. These are different sized pieces, so you need equal-sized pieces (common denominator) to add them correctly.

List the multiples of each number: 4: 4, 8, 12, 16... and 3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15... The first number that appears in both lists is 12, so LCM = 12.

That's perfectly normal! $\frac{7}{12}$ is already in lowest terms because 7 and 12 share no common factors other than 1. Not all fraction answers can be simplified further.

For simple fractions, you can multiply denominators (4 × 3 = 12), but this doesn't always give the smallest common denominator. Using LCM keeps your numbers smaller and makes calculations easier.

Ask: "4 times what equals 12?" Since 4 × 3 = 12, multiply both numerator and denominator by 3: $\frac{1 \times 3}{4 \times 3} = \frac{3}{12}$

Start with smaller examples like $\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4}$ to practice the method. The steps are always the same: find common denominator, convert, then add numerators!