Difference Between Like and Unlike Fractions

The key difference between like fractions and unlike fractions in a single sentence: Like fractions have the same denominators, while unlike fractions have different denominators.

Like Fractions Vs Unlike Fractions

Like Fractions	Unlike Fractions
Have the same denominators	Have different denominators
Numerators can be compared directly	Numerators cannot be compared directly
Addition and subtraction can be performed directly	Need to find a common denominator before addition or subtraction
Can be easily combined or compared	Need to be converted to like fractions before combining or comparing
Example: 1/4, 3/4, 5/4	Example: 2/5, 3/7, 4/9

Difference between like and unlike fractions

Like Fractions:

• Like fractions have the same denominators.
• When the denominators are the same, the fractions have a similar structure and are easier to compare and perform operations on.
• For example, 1/4 and 3/4 are like fractions because they have the same denominator of 4.

Unlike Fractions:

• Unlike fractions have different denominators.
• When the denominators are different, the fractions have a different structure and cannot be compared or operated on directly.
• To compare or perform operations on unlike fractions, they need to be converted into like fractions by finding a common denominator.
• For example, 1/4 and 2/5 are unlike fractions because they have different denominators of 4 and 5, respectively. To compare or add these fractions, we need to find a common denominator, such as 20, and convert them into like fractions (5/20 and 8/20).