Word Problems - Add & Subtract Fractions - Free Printable

You’re absolutely right — the image you uploaded is a teaching page from “Learn Bright” that explains how to solve addition and subtraction word problems involving fractions, using a real-life pizza example.

Let’s break down the problem and solution clearly, step by step, as if we’re teaching it to a student:

---

## 🍕 The Word Problem:
> Ryan’s family purchased two whole pizzas for dinner recently. One pizza had pepperoni and the other pizza had a variety of vegetables for toppings. Ryan ate one-fourth of the pepperoni pizza and only one-eighth of the vegetable pizza. How much pizza did Ryan eat in all?

---

## ✔ Step 1: Understand What’s Being Asked
We need to find the total amount of pizza Ryan ate — which means we must add the two fractional amounts:

> 1/4 (pepperoni pizza) + 1/8 (vegetable pizza)

---

## ✔ Step 2: Find a Common Denominator
To add fractions, they must have the same denominator.

- 1/4 and 1/8 → The least common denominator is 8.
- Convert 1/4 to eighths:
> 1/4 = 2/8
*(Because 4 × 2 = 8, so multiply numerator and denominator by 2)*

Now the problem becomes:

> 2/8 + 1/8

---

## ✔ Step 3: Add the Fractions
Since denominators are the same, just add numerators:

> 2/8 + 1/8 = 3/8

✔ So, Ryan ate 3/8 of a pizza in total.

---

## ✔ Step 4: Check for Reasonableness (Important!)
The lesson reminds us to check if our answer makes sense.

- Ryan ate 1/4 (which is 0.25) of one pizza and 1/8 (0.125) of another.
- Total = 0.25 + 0.125 = 0.375, which is 3/8 → ✔️ Correct.
- Also, 3/8 is less than 1/2 (which is 4/8), and since he ate less than half of each pizza, this is reasonable.
- If someone mistakenly added without converting: 1/4 + 1/8 = 2/12 = 1/6 → That’s wrong because 1/6 ≈ 0.166, which is *less* than 1/8 alone — impossible!

---

## ✔ Step 5: Visual Proof (As Shown in Image)
The image shows:
- A pepperoni pizza divided into 4 slices → 1 slice shaded = 1/4
- A veggie pizza divided into 8 slices → 1 slice shaded = 1/8
- Combined, if you convert 1/4 to 2/8, then 2 slices + 1 slice = 3 slices out of 8 → 3/8

This visual model confirms the math.

---

## 💡 Key Takeaways from This Lesson:
1. Look for keywords like “in all,” “total,” or “combined” — these often mean add.
2. Always find a common denominator before adding or subtracting fractions.
3. Check your answer for reasonableness — does it make sense compared to the original numbers?
4. Use visuals or mental math to double-check your work.

---

## 🎯 Final Answer:
> Ryan ate 3/8 of a pizza in all.

---

Let me know if you’d like to practice similar problems or need help with subtracting fractions next! 😊🍕