Finding fractions of amounts

A fraction is just another way to represent division. So finding 1/3 of something is the same as dividing that amount into 3 equal pieces.

The denominator of the fraction tells us what to divide by. So 1/3 is dividing by 3, 1/5 is dividing by 5, 1/8 is dividing by 8 and so on.

The numerator tells us how many parts we need. So 2/3 means we need 2 pieces from the original amount, and 7/8 means we need 7 pieces from the original amount.

To work out a fraction of an amount quickly:
  1. Divide by the denominator. This tells us the size of one share.
  2. Multiply by the numerator. This tells us how much in all the shares we need.

It is quite useful to draw diagrams like the ones shown here when you are first learning about fractions of amounts. With a little practice, you should then be able to work them out without diagrams.

It is really important that you know your times tables and strategies for written multiplication and division to be able to find fractions of amounts.

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