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 Question from jeanette, a parent: can you help me figure this according to BEDMAS I am lost steps please: $\frac{12.75^2}{50} + \frac{13.49^2}{60}$ I hope this is not too confusing for you it is to me...

Jeanette,

You are asked to add two fractions and to do so the fractions need to have the same denominator, called a common denominator. The denominators you have are $50$ and $60.$ A common denominator is number which is a multiple of both $50$ and $60.$ $50 = 5 \times 10$ and $60 = 6 \times 10$ so $5 \times 6 \times 10 = 300$ is a multiple of both. To express the two fractions with the same denominator of $300$ multiply the numerator and denominator of the first fraction by $6$ and the numerator and denominator of the second fraction by $5.$ This gives

$\frac{12.75^2}{50} + \frac{13.49^2}{60} = \frac{6 \times 12.75^2}{6 \times 50} + \frac{5 \times 13.49^2}{5 \times 60}.$

Can you complete the problem now?

Write back if you need more help,
Harley

Math Central is supported by the University of Regina and The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences.