How do you become more familiar with fractions there really hard for me in Algebra?

Answer 1

There are many websites you can use to understand fractions.

I've listed a few for you to try:
http://www.mathleague.com/help/fractions/fractions.htm
http://www.kidsolr.com/math/fractions.html
http://www.funbrain.com/fract/
http://www.visualfractions.com/

Or, you could try the google search.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=fractions

Answer 2

The best way is practice. Its really hard to help over the internet. See if you can get some extra help from your teacher, or ask your parents for a tutor in that subject. Fractions are essential if you want to contiune your math into highschool and post secondary... YOU HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH FRACTIONS!

Good luck, practice lots! Try to get some one on one help!

Answer 3

I'm going to assume that either you're refering to rational expressions (fractions with variables in them) or fractional coefficients (fractions in front of the variable).

Regardless of which type you are refering to one of the best things you can do is practice adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing the fractions you originally learned in elementary school.

Fractional coefficients and rational expresssions all follow the same rules that regular fractions follow, the only noticeable difference is that you can't use a calculator when working with them. Well, in certain situations you can, but doing that is almost self-defeating since eventually you'll get to a level where the calculator just can't help (hurt) you anymore.

Basic rules of operations with fractions:

1) Always think of it as a mini-division problem. It's not half, so much as it's 1 divided by 2, which would give you the same value as 2 divided by 4.

2) Get rid of the entire concept of dividing both top and bottom by the same number. That's not actually what you are doing and it will hurt you later. Instead think of factors that the numerator and denominator have in common, and realize that they cancel. Cancelling is a form of division, so don't EVER try it over addition(that won't matter much until you get to reducing radical, rational expressions and working with the quadratic formula).

3) Adding and Subtracting.
Every fraction is mini-division problem, the denominator (bottom) is the number you are dividing by. You can't do anything with the numerator until everything is being divided by the same number (think of it as distribution with division, every term has to have the same).

Most of the time we're taught to multiply both top and bottom by the same number, which is procedurally true, but doesn't go far enough to explain why it works. In order to get common denominators you want to multiply by one. Multiplying by one doesn't change the value but it does change the way it looks, allowing you to get all denominators the same.

How do you choose one?

Well, it depends, what have you got to work with?

Example: (1/2)x + (2/3)x - (1/5)x [one-half x plus two-thirds x minus one-fifth x).

2, 3 and 5 all go into 30. (Which happens to be their product, and there is no smaller number that they all divide into evenly.)

To convert 1/2, you need to multiply by one in the form of 15/15 (Think about it 15 divided by 15 is one, so the value doesn't change).
1/2 * 15/15 = 15/30

Convert 2/3, multiply by 10/10
2/3 * 10/10 = 20/30

Convert 1/5, multiply by 6/6
1/5 * 6/6 = 6/30

New expression with common denominators:
(15/30)x + (20/30)x - (6/30)x

Add
(35/30)x - (6/30)x

Subtract
(29/30)x

If the idea of common denominators doesn't seem to matter to you think of it this way. You and a friend are sharing two pizzas both the same size. One is cut into quarters and one is cut into eigths, which would mean the slices from each pizza are different sizes.

You eat three slices that are eigths and your friend eats two slices that are fourths. Who had more pizza? I could claim that you had more becuase you had 3 slices. But isn't 2 half of four? So you're friend ate half a pizza, and 3 isn't half of 8 so you haven't even had a half yet.

4) Multiplying and Dividing (commong denominators don't matter)

Division is the opposite of multiplying. So when you divide by a fraction you multiply by the reciprocal (flip the fraction which makes it an opposite, when it comes to multiplication).

Think of three-fourths. That's 3 divided by 4.
If you take the reciprocal, four-thirds, now you have 4 divided by 3. Completely different values, and opposite because a different number is being dividided.

Always take the reciprocal of the fraction you are dividing by, and then you have a multiplication problem.

(2/3) / (3/4) [two-thirds divided by three-fourths)

Take the reciprocal of the fraction you are dividing by

(2/3) * (4/3) (Sure your calculator can do this, but throw a variable in there and that's when things fall apart.)

Multiply numerator by numerator and denominator by denominator (don't even think about cross-multiplying, no = sign, no cross multiplication).
(2*4) / (3 * 3) = 8/9

Another example:
(2x^2)/3 divided by x/5

Take the reciprocal of x/5 and multiply.
(2x^2)/3 multiplies by 5/x

Multiply numerator to numerator and denominator to denominator.
10x^2/3x

Reduce the fraction, cancelling powers of x.
10x/3

Leave it like that, mixed number are completely over rated and pretty much useless when it comes to computations of any kind.

Answer 4

Please include more info regarding your problem. Basics? solutions? What?