# How do you write 4 1/6 as an improper fraction?

Oct 30, 2015

$\frac{25}{6}$
Look at the explanation so that you can do others.
Bit long but you will find it useful!

#### Explanation:

$4 \frac{1}{6}$ is in fact $4 + \frac{1}{6}$. Plus or add means put together with.
In the same way subtract means remove from.

In a fraction the top number is the count. The bottom number is the size of each of what you are counting.

People do not normally do what I am about to but I am doing so to explain what is going on:

When you are counting whole numbers, such as 4 they are of size 1. In that it takes I of them to make a whole. In the same way, $\frac{1}{6}$ is if size 6, in that it take 6 of what you are counting to make a whole.

Why is this important? To add (or subtract) counts, the things you are counting have to be of same size (or type). So if you wish you could think of size as type. This means that to add counts you make them all the same type/size first. This may sound obvious but; if you are counting apples they all have to be apples. If there is a banana amongst them it is not part of the set 'apples'. You would have to change it to 'apple' for it to be included.

We have $\frac{1}{6}$that needs to added to $\frac{4}{1}$
Convert $\frac{4}{1}$ into something of size/type "1/6.

We do this by multiplying by 1 in the form of $\frac{6}{6}$ because in the denominators $1 \times 6 = 6$

Giving: $\frac{4}{1} \times \frac{6}{6} = \frac{4 \times 6}{1 \times 6} = \frac{24}{6}$

We have now changed the way 4 looks, we are counting a smaller size so there has to be more of them to make the same overall quantity.
Now we can add them directly

So $4 = \frac{24}{6}$

Thus $4 + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{24}{6} + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{25}{6}$