Multiply Fractions By Whole Numbers – The last time I thought about multiplying fractions was probably in 5th grade. But if you want to cut a recipe in half or use fractions to calculate the price of a new sales jersey, you may have to dig through the back of your memory to figure out how. Refresh:
All fractions have upper and lower numbers separated by short horizontal lines. In a correct fraction, the smaller number, called the numerator, is always at the top and the larger number (the denominator) is at the bottom. The numerator tells you the total number of units, and the denominator tells you how many units make up the whole. So in the fraction 1/2, 1 is the numerator and 2 is the denominator. There are 2 units in total, but this fraction tells us that there is one of these parts.
Multiply Fractions By Whole Numbers
Unlike adding or subtracting fractions, you can multiply fractions with different denominators. For example, multiplying by 3/4 x 2/5 is not a problem.
Fractions On A Number Line Game
The third step is to simplify or reduce fractions. Because there are better ways to study fractions.
To do this, find the largest number that can reduce the fraction by dividing both the numerator and denominator. In this case, the largest number that divides the two evenly is 2, so the reduced answer to this multiplication problem is 3/10.
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This complete guide to multiplying fractions and whole numbers includes several examples, small animated video lessons, free worksheets and answers.
Th Grade Multiply Fractions By Whole Numbers Task Cards
Before we learn how to multiply fractions, let’s take a quick look at multiplying fractions by fractions (multiplying fractions by whole numbers will be much easier once you understand how to use the rules below!)
The Law of Fraction Multiplication: Whenever you multiply a fraction, multiply by the numerator and multiply by the denominator, you get:
The fraction (3/8) cannot be simplified (because 8 and 3 have no common factors).
Now that you are familiar with the rules for multiplying fractions by fractions, you can use these rules to multiply fractions by whole numbers.
Multiplying Fractions By Whole Numbers Worksheet
Now, since we are multiplying fractions by fractions, we can use the rule to solve for…
Wait! What if you could simplify the answer? Let’s handle the situation in the following example…
Since the common factor (GCF) of 45 and 10 is 5, we can simplify this by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 5…
Check out the video lessons below to learn more about fraction multiplication and free practice problems.
Multiply Fractions By Whole Number Worksheet
Looking for more exercises to multiply fractions by whole numbers? Click the link below to download the free worksheet and answer sheet.
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This article was co-authored by Dr. Mario Banuelos and Associated Writer Jessica Gibson. Mario Banuelos is an assistant professor of mathematics at California State University, Fresno. With over 8 years of teaching experience, Mario specializes in statistical biology, optimization, mathematical models of genome evolution, and data science. Mario received his Bachelor’s and PhD in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno. PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Merced. Mario has taught at both the high school and college levels.
Multiplying fractions by mixed numbers or whole numbers is easy. Start by converting mixed numbers or integers to improper fractions. Then multiply both improper fractions. Multiply the denominator and simplify the result.
Ways To Multiply Fractions With Whole Numbers
This article was co-authored by Dr. Mario Banuelos and Associated Writer Jessica Gibson. Mario Banuelos is an assistant professor of mathematics at California State University, Fresno. With over 8 years of teaching experience, Mario specializes in statistical biology, optimization, mathematical models of genome evolution, and data science. Mario received his Bachelor’s and PhD in Mathematics from California State University, Fresno. PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Merced. Mario has taught at both the high school and college levels. This article has been viewed 2,132,295 times.
To multiply a fraction by an integer, first put the integer on top of 1 and rewrite it as a fraction. For example, suppose you want to solve 5 x 8/10. We start by rewriting 5 as a fraction. Now the equation looks like 5/1 x 8/10. Next, you need to multiply the fractional numbers or higher numbers together. In this example, 5 and 8 are numbers, so multiply 5 by 8 to get 40. Now do the same for the denominator or bottom number of the fraction. Since 1 and 10 are the denominators, multiply 1 by 10 to get 10. The new ratio is 40/10. If the new part can be simplified, the job is done and that’s the answer. If possible, simplify fractions to lower terms. In our example we ended up with 40/10. This can be simplified by dividing the numerator and denominator by 10 to give 4/1. So 5 x 8/10 = 4/1 or 4. Scroll down to learn how to multiply common fractions by whole numbers!