Fractions are numbers that represent parts of a whole. For example, 1/2 means one-half, 3/4 means three-quarters, and 5/8 means five-eighths. Fractions can describe lengths, areas, volumes, ratios, probabilities, etc.
One of the basic operations that we can perform with fractions is multiplication. Multiplication is the process of finding the product of two or more numbers. For example, 2 x 3 = 6 means that the product of 2 and 3 is 6.
But how do we multiply fractions? Is it the same as multiplying whole numbers? What rules and steps do we need to follow? This blog post will answer these questions and show you how to multiply fractions quickly.
The Rule for Multiplying Fractions
The rule for multiplying fractions is straightforward: multiply the numerators and denominators. The numerator is the top number of a fraction, and the denominator is the bottom number.
For example, in the fraction 1/2, the numerator is 1, and the denominator is 2.
We must multiply two fractions’ numerators and denominators separately and then write the result as a new fraction. For example, to multiply 1/2 and 3/4, we do the following:
1/2 x 3/4 = (1 x 3) / (2 x 4) = 3 / 8
The product of 1/2 and 3/4 is 3/8. Notice that we did not change the order of the fractions or the numbers. We just multiplied them as they are.
The Steps for Multiplying Fractions
To multiply fractions, we can follow these steps:
1. Write the fractions as they are, with a multiplication sign between them.
2. Multiply the numerators and write the result as the new numerator.
3. Multiply the denominators and write the result as the new denominator.
4. Simplify the fraction, if possible, by dividing the numerator and the denominator by a common factor.
Let’s see some examples of how to apply these steps.
Example 1: Multiplying Two Proper Fractions
A proper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is smaller than the denominator. For example, 2/3, 4/5, and 7/9 are proper fractions.
To multiply two proper fractions, we follow the steps above. For example, to multiply 2/3 and 4/5, we do the following:
2/3 x 4/5 = (2 x 4) / (3 x 5) = 8 / 15
The product of 2/3 and 4/5 is 8/15. This fraction is already in its simplest form, so we do not need to simplify it further.
Example 2: Multiplying Two Improper Fractions
An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is more significant than or equal to the denominator. For example, 5/4, 7/7, and 9/2 are improper fractions.
To multiply two improper fractions, we follow the same steps as before. For example, to multiply 5/4 and 9/2, we do the following:
5/4 x 9/2 = (5 x 9) / (4 x 2) = 45 / 8
The product of 5/4 and 9/2 is 45/8. This fraction is not in its simplest form, so we need to simplify it by dividing the numerator and the denominator by a common factor. The most common factor in this case is 1, so we cannot simplify it further.
Example 3: Multiplying a Proper Fraction and an Improper Fraction
We follow the same steps as before to multiply a proper and improper fraction. For example, to multiply 3/5 and 10/3, we do the following:
3/5 x 10/3 = (3 x 10) / (5 x 3) = 30 / 15
The product of 3/5 and 10/3 is 30/15. This fraction is not in its simplest form, so we need to simplify it by dividing the numerator and the denominator by a common factor. In this case, the most significant common factor is 15, so we divide both by 15 and get:
30 / 15 = (30 / 15) / (15 / 15) = 2 / 1
The simplified fraction is 2/1, which is equivalent to 2.
Example 4: Multiplying a Fraction and a Whole Number
A whole number is a number that does not have a fractional part. For example, 1, 2, 3, and 4 are whole numbers.
To multiply a fraction and a whole number, we can treat the whole number as a fraction with a denominator of 1.
For example, 2 can be written as 2/1. Then, we follow the same steps as before. For example, to multiply 2/3 and 2, we do the following:
2/3 x 2 = 2/3 x 2/1 = (2 x 2) / (3 x 1) = 4 / 3
The product of 2/3 and 2 is 4/3. This fraction is improper, so we can simplify it by dividing the numerator and the denominator by a common factor.
The greatest common factor in this case is 1, so we cannot simplify it further.
Example 5: Multiplying a Fraction and a Mixed Number
A mixed number is a number that consists of a whole number and a fraction. For example, 2 1/2, 3 3/4, and 4 1/8 are mixed numbers.
To multiply a fraction and a mixed number, we can convert the mixed number into an improper fraction. To do this, we multiply the whole number by the fraction’s denominator and then add the numerator.
For example, to convert 2 1/2 into an improper fraction, we do the following:
2 1/2 = (2 x 2) + 1 / 2 = 5 / 2
Then, we follow the same steps as before. For example, to multiply 1/4 and 2 1/2, we do the following:
1/4 x 2 1/2 = 1/4 x 5/2 = (1 x 5) / (4 x 2) = 5 / 8
The product of 1/4 and 2 1/2 is 5/8. Since this fraction is already in its simplest form, we do not need to simplify it further.
See; How to Calculate Percentage
How to Find Standard Deviation
Conclusion
Multiplying fractions is a simple and easy operation that can be done by following these steps:
1. Write the fractions as they are, with a multiplication sign between them.
2. Multiply the numerators and write the result as the new numerator.
3. Multiply the denominators and write the result as the new denominator.
4. Simplify the fraction, if possible, by dividing the numerator and the denominator by a common factor.