Skill: Add fractions with like denominators

When fractions have the same denominator, they are made of the same-sized parts. Add the numerators, which tell how many parts there are, and keep the denominator.

Example:

$$\frac{3}{8}+\frac{2}{8}$$

1. The denominator is $8$ in both fractions, so each fraction is divided into eighths.
2. Add the numerators:

$$3+2=5$$

3. Keep the common denominator, $8$:

$$\frac{3}{8}+\frac{2}{8}=\frac{5}{8}$$

So, the answer is $\frac{5}{8}$.

Do not add the denominators. The pieces are still eighths, not sixteenths. You are combining the number of same-sized pieces, just as combining $3$ eighth-size pieces with $2$ eighth-size pieces gives $5$ eighth-size pieces.