Question

What is 1/3 + 7/12 x 4

Answer 1

1/3 plus 7/12 is 11/12. Then 11/12 multiplied by 4 is 2 2/3. This is the answer I get.

Answer 2

`\frac{1}3+(7)/(12)*4`

According to the order of operations, you need to multiply first.

When you multiply into a fraction, the numerator (top number) changes.
In this case, you'd multiply the 7 by 4 to get 28.


`\frac{1}3+(28)/(12)`

To add fractions, they have to have the same denominator. (bottom number)
Let's find the lowest common denominator of 3 and 12.
Prime factorization of 3: 3
Prime factorization of 12: 2*2*3
Multiply all of these together, ignoring the duplicates.
2*2*3 = 12

How can we change 1/3 to have a denominator of 12?
Well, if you multiply or divide both the numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same number, it will stay equal. For instance, 1/2 = 2/4.
We want the 3 to become 12. That means we'd multiply by 4.
Multiplying 1 by 4 gives us 4.
Thus 1/3 = 4/12.


`(4)/(12)+(28)/(12)`

Now just add the numerators.


`(32)/(12)`

Since the top and bottom are both divisible by 2, we can simplify this by dividing them both by 2.


`\frac{16}6`

And again.


`\frac{8}3`

If you wanted that as an improper fraction, that would be
`2\frac{2}3`.