These fractions worksheets include addition of whole numbers and proper fractions. First things first, let’s differentiate between proper fractions and whole numbers before starting the above topic.

Whole numbers: All the numbers starting at zero and never ending when we count by ones. For example; 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ………… are the starting whole numbers and this list goes up forever.

Proper fractions: A fraction with its numerator less than its denominator and in its lowest terms, is a proper fraction. For example; 1/2 or half  is the most basic proper fraction and 1/3, 1/4, 2/3 and 2/5 are more examples of proper fraction. Look at all the examples, all fractions have their numerators less than the denominators and are in lowest terms.

Now, we can think about adding above kinds of numbers and start to solve problems in the fractions worksheets. To add a whole number to a proper fraction, the trick is to realize that all the whole numbers can be written in the fractional format by using “1″ as their denominators. For example; 1 can be written as 1/1, 2 can be written as 2/1 and 3 can be written as 3/1 and so on.

Example on adding improper fraction to a whole number

Once the whole number is written in fractional format, the next step is to make the denominators same for both the fractions. It can be understood by going through the following example:

Consider we want to add 3 and 2/3,

You know 3 can be written as 3/1 in fractional form and we can write both the fractions as shown below:

3/1 + 2/3

Next step is to change the denominators 1 and 3 into a common denominators by finding their least common multiply (lcm). The least common multiple (lcm) of 1 and 3 is 3, hence we have to change only “1″ into 3 by multiplying the numerator and denominator of “3/1″ by 3 as shown below:

3 x 3/1 x 3 + 2/3  =   9/3 + 2/3

Hence we have changed whole number 3 into a fraction equal to 3/1 and then change 3/1 into an equivalent fraction of 9/3 to make the common denominator with the other fractions 2/3, now we should be very happy. Why? Because both the given fractions have the same denominators and we can add them very easily now by adding their numerators, only which is shown below:

9/3 + 2/3 = (9 + 2)/3 = 11/3

Now see if we can reduce 11/3 into lowest terms. No, there no common factor among 11 and 3 (but 1, and we don’t care about it). So, 11/3 is our final answer of the given adding fractions problem. You can visit our main fractions site to print more lessons and fractions worksheets to practice adding a whole number to a proper fraction.

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