Multiplying fractions word problems
Multiplying fractions word problems arise in numerous situations. 
In the figure above, we broke it into half. Then, break half into 4 equal parts. The result? The shaded area is one-eighth You could solve the same problem simply by doing a multiplication of 1/4 and 1/2 1/4 × 1/2 = 1/8 In general,no need to make a graph to solve these type of problems Just do multiplication! Example #2 What is one-third of three-fourths? Solution 1/3 × 3/4 = 3/12 = 1/4 If you want to model the situation, you will construct the following graph: 
Example #3: A recipe needs 1/4 tablespoon salt. How much salt does 8 such recipe need? Solution This word problem requires multiplication of fractions Instead of adding 1/4 eight times, we can just do: 1/4 × 8 = 1/4 × 8/1 = 8/4 = 2 To make 8 recipes, we need 2 tablespoons of salt. Exercises #4: Peter's truck gets him 10 2/3 miles per gallon. Suppose Peter's tank is empty and he puts 5 1/2 gallons, how far can Peter go with the truck? Solution This word problem requires too multiplication. Also, Note that both numbers are mixed numbers. Thus, you have to convert them to improper fractions before you multiply. 10 2/3 × 5 1/2 = (10 × 3 + 2)/3 × (5 × 2 +1)/2 = 32/3 × 11/2 10 2/3 × 5 1/2 = (32 × 11)/6 = 352/6 = 58.66 miles Multiplying fractions word problems Home page
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