How do you simplify the sum of $3/5 + 2/7$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2016-04-04T09:46:44

$31/35$

You can not directly add or subtract the top numbers of fractions unless the bottom numbers are all the same.

Both 5 and 7 will divide into 35 because $5xx7=35$
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Multiply $3/5$ by 1 but in the form of $color(green)(1=7/7)$ giving

$" "3/5color(green)(xx7/7) = 21/35$
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Multiply $2/7$ by 1 but in the form of $color(brown)(1=5/5)$ giving

$" " 2/7color(brown)(xx5/5)= 10/35$
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$color(blue)("Putting it all together"$

$" "3/5+2/7 " is the same as "21/35+10/35$

The correct way to write this is:

$" "3/5+2/7" " -=" "21/35+10/35$

$" "=31/35$

How do you simplify the sum of 3/5 + 2/73/5 + 2/7?