Watch: Applying fractions
This video demonstrates how fractions are applied in different workplaces.
Fractions in everyday life
Finding fractions of amounts in context just means finding fractions of amounts in real life situations using measures like money, weight and length.
We can see fractions of amounts all around us in everyday life:
Shops use offers such as "1/3 extra free" or "1/2 price", which means we have to sometimes calculate the new price or amount in our heads.
We measure time in fractions, for example 鈥渋n three-quarters of an hour鈥.
When we bake or follow a recipe we also measure in fractions, like 鈥渁dd 1/2 a teaspoon of salt鈥 .
Top tip
One of the simplest methods to use to find fractions is:
'Divide by the bottom鈥nd times by the top!'
This reminds you to divide the amount by the denominator, and then multiply that answer by the numerator.
RUCSAC
You can use RUCSAC to help you answer word problems:
READ the question carefully.
UNDERLINE and UNDERSTAND key words.
CHOOSE the correct operation (+ - x 梅) and method.
SOLVE the problem!
ANSWER the question.
CHECK your working out.
Example 1
Now let鈥檚 look at some examples with word problems.
A TV programme lasts for one hour. Arthur misses 3/10 of the programme. How many minutes did he watch?
The question asks how many minutes he watched, not how many he missed.
So if we know he missed 3/10 of the hour, he must have watched 7/10.
What is 7/10 of 60 minutes (one hour)?
Divide by the bottom鈥
60 梅 10 = 6
Times by the top鈥
6 x 7 = 42
He must have watched 42 minutes of the TV programme.
Using bar models
It can also be really helpful to represent a problem using models or diagrams.
For example, you can use a bar model to visualise words problems linked to fractions.
Let's take a look at the question in the slideshow below from
1 of 2
Activities
Activity 1
Maths of the Day: Football Fractions video challenge
Ever heard that football is a game of two halves? Fractions are used all the time in football, so it's useful to know what they mean.
If you want to test your knowledge of fractions, Gary Lineker from 鈥楳atch of the Day鈥 and Ben Shires from C成人论坛 鈥楰ickabout鈥 are here to help with this video from KS2 Maths.
Make sure you have a pen/pencil and paper ready to answer the questions in the video, and see if you can answer within 30 seconds.
Quiz
Play our fun maths game Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica. gamePlay our fun maths game Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica
Use your times tables and more maths skills to defeat monsters and reclaim the Kingdom of Mathematica
More on Fractions
Find out more by working through a topic
- count3 of 26
- count4 of 26
- count5 of 26
- count6 of 26