Sum of  

-2/5

and

5/3

in Simplest Form

Given:   +
Since the denominators are not common (not the same), we need to find the Least Common Denominator (LCD), which is equivalent to the Least Common Multiple of 3 and 5:
LCD = LCM(3, 5) = 15
Express the given fractions as equivalent fractions with respect to the LCD (15):
=   and   = As a result,   + = +
Since the equivalent fractions have common denominators, we can add the numerators:
+ = = is in Simplest Form since the Greatest Common Factor of 15 and 19 equals 1, GCF(15, 19) = 1Therefore, the Sum of  

-2/5

and

5/3

is equal to

19/15

in Simplest Form:  

-2/5

+

5/3

=

19/15

Notes:

• 19/15
  is an improper fraction, and as a mixed number,  
  19/15
  = 1
  4/15
•  
  -2/5
  +
  5/3
  =
  5/3
  −
  2/5