Fraction word problems

A fraction represents a part of a whole and is written as $$\frac{a}{b}$$ , where 'a' is the numerator (the number of parts) and 'b' is the denominator (the total number of equal parts).

To multiply a fraction by a whole number, multiply the numerator by the whole number and keep the denominator the same. For example, $$\frac{2}{3} \times 4 = \frac{2 \times 4}{3} = \frac{8}{3}$$ .

The operation used is subtraction. For example, to find how much more 5 is than 3, you calculate $$5 - 3 = 2$$ .

To divide a fraction by a whole number, multiply the denominator by the whole number. For example, $$\frac{3}{4} \div 2 = \frac{3}{4 \times 2} = \frac{3}{8}$$ .

Identify the operations needed based on the question. Read the problem carefully to determine if you need to add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

To add fractions with different denominators, first find a common denominator, convert the fractions, and then add the numerators. For example, $$\frac{1}{4} + \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{4} + \frac{2}{4} = \frac{3}{4}$$ .

The numerator represents the number of parts you have or are considering out of the total parts.

The denominator represents the total number of equal parts that make up a whole.

To find a fraction of a whole number, multiply the whole number by the numerator and then divide by the denominator. For example, to find $$\frac{1}{3}$$ of 12, calculate $$12 \times 1 \div 3 = 4$$ .

A mixed number is a whole number combined with a fraction, such as $$2 \frac{1}{2}$$ .