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Multiplying Fractions with Whole Numbers
Multiplying fractions with whole numbers is much easier than adding fractions.
Let us learn this by following examples :
Example 1
If we have four children and each has two cookies, how many cookies are there in all?
If we multiply 4 x 2, we find that there are 8 cookies total.
But what if we have four children and each has
2
3
of a cookie? How many cookies are there in all?
Multiply the numerator by the whole number, and leave the denominator the same.
We need to multiply 4 x
2
3
That's your new numerator!
4 x 2 = 8
Remember, the denominator stays the same, so our answer is:
8
3
Since the numerator is larger than the denominator, you can tell that this fraction is bigger than one.
You can restate it as 2
2
3
.
Here is how we did it. To change an improper fraction to a mixed number, you must divide the numerator by the denominator. Then, the mixed number takes the following form :
- The answer becomes the whole number
- The remainder becomes the numerator
- The denominator stays the same
Example 2
There are three bowls of soup on a table. Each bowl is
1
5
full. How much soup is there in total?
We need to multiply 3 x
1
5
.
3 x 1
5
=
3
5
There is
3
5
of a bowl soup in total.
Summary
- Fractions represent parts of whole numbers
- Numerator (number on top) represents how many parts of the whole you have
- Denominator (number on the bottom) represents how many equal parts the whole is divided into.
- Multiplying Fractions by a Whole Number: Multiply the numerator by the whole number, and leave the denominator the same.
