document.write( "Question 1208933: I'm trying to help my niece. How can I show 1/3+1/4 as a diagram? Thanks! \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #847463 by ikleyn(52781) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " Use the watch dial.\r
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document.write( "1/3 of an hour is 20 minutes.\r\n" );
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document.write( "1/4 of an hour is 15 minutes.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The sum  1/3 + 1/4  is  20 minutes + 15 minutes = 35 minutes,  or 7/12 of an hour.\r\n" );
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document.write( "In fractions, it corresponds to  fraction addition \r\n" );
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document.write( "     +  = work with the common denominator =  = ,\r\n" );
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document.write( "giving you the same value as the watch dial gives visually.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " Then you can continue your explanations this way.\r
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document.write( "Draw first  vertical rectangle with the horizontal base of 1 cm and vertical height of 4 cm.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Draw second vertical rectangle with the horizontal base of 1 cm and vertical height of 3 cm.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Draw third  vertical rectangle with the horizontal base of 1 cm and vertical height of 12 cm.\r\n" );
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document.write( "First  rectangle represents 1/3 of the third rectangle.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Second rectangle represents 1/4 of the third rectangle.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    +------------------------------------------------------------+\r\n" );
document.write( "    |     So, first rectangle and second rectangle represent     |\r\n" );
document.write( "    |        fractions 1/3 and 1/4, which you want to add.       |\r\n" );
document.write( "    +------------------------------------------------------------+\r\n" );
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document.write( "Divide/separate each of the three rectangle by horizontal segments 1 cm of height each.\r\n" );
document.write( "These small rectangles all have the same measure: this common measure is 1/12 \r\n" );
document.write( "of the measure of the great rectangle.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then you see that first rectangle is 4 times the common measure,\r\n" );
document.write( "while the second rectangle is 3 times the common measure.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The sum of the first and the second rectangles is 4+3 = 7 times the common measure.\r\n" );
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document.write( "This corresponds to fraction addition\r\n" );
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document.write( "     +  = work with the common denominator =  = ,\r\n" );
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document.write( "giving the same value as you got using the diagram.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solved, answered and explained.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "These two explanations are just enough.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It is the way on how my grandmothers and grandfathers were taught more than 100 years ago.\r
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