Mixed Number to Improper Fraction Calculator
Convert a mixed number to an improper fraction using the calculator below. Follow along to see each step to make the conversion yourself.
Improper Fraction:
Steps to Convert Mixed Fraction to Improper Fraction
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How to Convert a Mixed Number to an Improper Fraction
A mixed number is a number that has both a whole number and a proper fraction. A mixed number has three parts: the whole number, the top number of the fraction (called the numerator), and the bottom number of the fraction (called the denominator).
A mixed number is a number that can be converted to a fraction that, when simplified, has a numerator larger than the denominator. This is known as an improper fraction. A proper fraction, on the other hand, has a numerator that is smaller than the denominator.
Since a number can be represented in either mixed number form or improper fraction form, you may need to convert between the two. Follow these two easy steps to convert a mixed number to an improper fraction.
Step One: Convert the Whole Number to a Fraction
The first step to converting a mixed number to a fraction is to convert the whole number to a fraction. To do this, multiply the whole part by the denominator of the fractional part.
Then put the result over the denominator.
For example, let’s convert the whole number 2 in the mixed fraction 2 1/4 to a fraction.
First, let’s find the numerator:
numerator = 2 × 4
numerator = 8
Then put the numerator over the original denominator 4:
fraction = 8 / 4
You can also visualize this as 2 wholes being equal to 8/4. If we have 2 pizzas with 4 slices each, 2 pizzas would be 8 total slices.
Step Two: Add the Fractions to Solve the Improper Fraction
The next step is to add the fraction from the last step with the fraction in the mixed number to find the improper fraction.
To do this, add the numerators of each fraction together, then put the sum as the new numerator over the denominator. The result is an improper fraction.
For example, add 8/4 and 1/4 to find the fraction.
First, add the numerators:
numerator = 8 + 1
numerator = 9
Then put the numerator over the denominator 4:
improper fraction = 9 / 4
You might also be interested in learning how to convert an improper fraction to a mixed number.