Question

Use the order of operations to simplify this expression. Express your answer in simplest form. 1/4 +1/2 ÷ 3/8

Answer 1

You do the division first which actually is really multiplication because you can't divide fractions. So anyway you apply the fraction rule which states that a/b÷c/d=a/b×d/c you flip second part of fraction like this

original problem: 1/4+1/2÷3/8

change division into
multiplication now so: 1/4+1/2×3/8

remember you have
to follow order of
operations (pemdas) do
multiplication first(remember
to flip the fraction
on the end so : 1/2×8/3

then multiply across: 1x8=8
2x3=6 so answer is 8/6
(cancel out common factors of 8 and 6 which is 2)
so 8÷2/6÷2=4/3

now take the first part
of problem which is 1/4
and add it to answer you
got which is 4/3 so it looks like : 1/4+4/3

solve by adding fractions
by finding lcm of changing
bottom numbers 3 and 4 so the fractions have the same denominator: lcm=12

lcm changes the problem
now you have to multiply
the numerator of each to
whatever you need to get
the bottom answer so
for 1/4 the denominator is 4
so 4x3 gives you 12 multiply numerator by 3also which gives you: 3/12
And for the second fraction
4/3 you look at denominator 3
And you know 3x4=12 multiply the 4 by the numerator also and that gives you: 16/12

now add them: 3/12+16/12= 19/12

simplify: 19/12=
19÷12= 1 7/12

hope this helped and didn't confuse you more