Add fractions with exponents in the numeratorHow does one add these two terms with exponents in the numerator like h 2 + h 2 4 ?According to my lesson on Khan Academy, one should get h 2 ( 1 + 1 4 ) However, intuitively, it would seem that one would get 4 h 2 4 + h 2 4 having first taken a common denominator and then 5 h 2 4 After having searched for clarification, none of the search results really helped me to derive the answer. Hopefully this will not add, as such, a redundant post. Please clarify.

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Add fractions with exponents in the numeratorHow does one add these two terms with exponents in the numerator like       h    2    +            h      2        4  ?According to my lesson on Khan Academy, one should get       h    2        (    1    +          1      4        )  However, intuitively, it would seem that one would get             4              h        2              4    +            h      2        4   having first taken a common denominator and then   5            h      2        4  After having searched for clarification, none of the search results really helped me to derive the answer. Hopefully this will not add, as such, a redundant post. Please clarify.

efterynzl · Accepted Answer

note that            h      2        4    =      1    4    ⋅      h    2  thus we have      4    4    ⋅      h    2    +      1    4    ⋅      h    2    =      5    4    ⋅      h    2

Logan Knox · Accepted Answer

Your answer and the Khan academy answer are the same.Khan Academy:      h    2        (    1    +          1      4        )  You:  5            h      2        4    =      5    4        h    2  But  1  +      1    4    =      4    4    +      1    4    =      5    4  So the Khan academy answer becomes      h    2    ⋅      5    4    =      5    4        h    2  which is the same as yours.

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