What Does 'A Fraction Of' Mean?
When you work out a fraction of a number, you're finding a part of that number. For example, half of 10 is 5, or one-quarter of 20 is 5. Fractions help us split things into equal pieces and find out how much one piece is worth.
Think of it like sharing a pizza. If you cut a pizza into 8 slices and want to know how much 3 slices are, you're finding 3/8 of the whole pizza.
The Two-Step Method
Working out a fraction of a number is simple once you know the trick. You need to divide first, then multiply.
Step 1: Divide by the bottom number (the denominator). This tells you how much one piece is worth. Step 2: Multiply by the top number (the numerator). This tells you how many pieces you want.
Let's try an example: What is 3/4 of 20? First, divide 20 by 4 = 5. Then multiply 5 by 3 = 15. So 3/4 of 20 is 15.
Think of it like counting pocket money. If you have £20 and want to find 3/4 of it, you first split £20 into 4 equal parts (that's £5 each), then count 3 of those parts (that's £15).
Try It Yourself
Here are some problems to practise:
What is 1/2 of 14? Divide 14 by 2 = 7. Multiply 7 by 1 = 7. Answer: 7.
What is 2/5 of 25? Divide 25 by 5 = 5. Multiply 5 by 2 = 10. Answer: 10.
Why Is This Useful?
You'll use fractions of numbers all the time—sharing sweets, calculating discounts in shops, measuring ingredients for cooking, or working out percentages (which are just fractions out of 100). Understanding this skill makes maths in real life much easier!