Multiply Fractions by Whole

Grade 4 · fractions · 83 practice problems · read aloud

🔊 Listen to this explanation

Multiplying Fractions by Whole Numbers 🧮

This operation helps you find a fraction of a whole number. It's super useful for real-life situations, like splitting a pizza with friends or measuring ingredients for a recipe!

How to Solve: Step-by-Step

  1. Turn the whole number into a fraction. Put it over 1. (e.g., 5 becomes 5/1)
  2. Multiply the numerators (top numbers).
  3. Multiply the denominators (bottom numbers).
  4. Simplify your answer if you can. Change improper fractions (like 10/4) to mixed numbers (like 2 2/4, then 2 1/2).

Let's Look at Examples

Example 1: 3 × 2/5

  1. 3 becomes 3/1, so the problem is: 3/1 × 2/5
  2. Multiply numerators: 3 × 2 = 6
  3. Multiply denominators: 1 × 5 = 5
  4. Answer: 6/5 or 1 1/5

Example 2: 2 × 3/4

  1. 2 becomes 2/1, so: 2/1 × 3/4
  2. Numerators: 2 × 3 = 6
  3. Denominators: 1 × 4 = 4
  4. Answer: 6/4 simplifies to 3/2 or 1 1/2

⚠️ Watch Out For These Mistakes!

  • Forgetting the denominator: Remember, 4 × 1/3 is not 4/3? Wait, it is! But 4 × 1/3 is not just 4, you must keep the denominator.
  • Adding instead of multiplying: Don't add the numerators and denominators. Multiply straight across!
  • Skipping simplification: Always see if your answer can be simplified or written as a mixed number.

🌟 Tips & Tricks

  • Think of it as repeated addition: 4 × 1/5 is the same as 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5.
  • Multiply numerator, denominator stays: A quick way is to multiply the whole number by the fraction's numerator and keep the same denominator.
  • Draw it! Draw circles, split them into fractions, and shade the parts you're multiplying.

Time to Practice! ✏️

Try these problems on your own:

  • 5 × 2/3
  • 3 × 3/8
  • 4 × 1/6
  • 2 × 5/7

Use drawings, number lines, or just the steps above. Check your answers with a friend or teacher!

Practice problems

6 of the 83, worked through step by step — try them before opening the answer.

1 3 × 2/5 = ?

Hint: Think of multiplying a whole number by a fraction as repeated addition of that fraction.

Show the answer

Answer: 6/5

  1. Understand the problem. We are multiplying a whole number (3) by a fraction (2/5). The expression is: 3 × 2/5.
  2. Interpret the whole number as a fraction. Any whole number can be written as a fraction with denominator 1. So, 3 = 3/1. Now the problem becomes: (3/1) × (2/5).
  3. Multiply the fractions. To multiply fractions, multiply the numerators together and multiply the denominators together. Numerators: 3 × 2 = 6 Denominators: 1 × 5 = 5 So, the product is 6/5.
  4. Check if the fraction can be simplified. 6 and 5 have no common factors other than 1, so 6/5 is already in simplest form. Final Answer: 6/5

2 3/4 × 8 = ?

Hint: When multiplying a fraction by a whole number, think about what the fraction represents and how it relates to the whole number.

Show the answer

Answer: 6

  1. Write the multiplication as a fraction. 3/4 × 8 is the same as (3/4) × (8/1).
  2. Multiply the numerators and the denominators. Numerators: 3 × 8 = 24 Denominators: 4 × 1 = 4 So we get 24/4.
  3. Simplify the fraction. 24 divided by 4 equals 6.
  4. State the final answer. Therefore, 3/4 × 8 = 6. Explanation: Multiplying by a fraction means taking a portion of the number. Here, 3/4 of 8 means we divide 8 into 4 equal parts (each part is 2) and then take 3 of those parts (3 × 2 = 6).

Let's solve 3/4 × 8 step by step.

3 5 × 3/8 = ?

Hint: When multiplying a whole number by a fraction, you can think of the whole number as a fraction over 1.

Show the answer

Answer: 15/8

  1. Write the whole number as a fraction. 5 is the same as 5/1.
  2. Multiply the numerators together. 5 × 3 = 15.
  3. Multiply the denominators together. 1 × 8 = 8.
  4. Combine the results to form the new fraction: 15/8.

The answer is 15/8.

4 7 × 3/5 = ?

Hint: When multiplying a whole number by a fraction, you can think of the whole number as having a denominator of 1.

Show the answer

Answer: 21/5

  1. Write the whole number as a fraction. 7 is the same as 7/1.
  2. Multiply the numerators together. 7 × 3 = 21.
  3. Multiply the denominators together. 1 × 5 = 5.
  4. Combine the results to form the new fraction: 21/5.

The answer is 21/5.

5 8 × 3/7 = ?

Hint: Remember that a whole number can be written as a fraction with denominator 1 when multiplying fractions.

Show the answer

Answer: 24/7

  1. Write the whole number as a fraction: 8 = 8/1
  2. Multiply the numerators: 8 × 3 = 24
  3. Multiply the denominators: 1 × 7 = 7
  4. Combine the results: 24/7

The answer is 24/7.

6 8 × 2/7 = ?

Hint: Remember that a whole number can be written as a fraction with denominator 1 when multiplying with fractions.

Show the answer

Answer: 16/7

  1. Write the whole number as a fraction: 8 = 8/1
  2. Multiply the numerators: 8 × 2 = 16
  3. Multiply the denominators: 1 × 7 = 7
  4. Combine the results: 16/7

The answer is 16/7.

Practise this topic — 10 free problems, no signup →