Subscribe

5th grade · Math · Unit 12 of 14

Multiply & Divide Fractions

Fractions times and shared

What your child practices

Multiplying a fraction by a whole number or a fraction, dividing a unit fraction by a whole number (and the other way round), and seeing a fraction as sharing.

Alaska content standards learning standard: 5.NF.5; 5.NF.6; 5.NF.7 · multiplication as scaling, multiplying fractions and mixed numbers in real problems, and dividing unit fractions and whole numbers

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. To multiply fractions, multiply the tops and multiply the bottoms.
  2. A fraction is a division: 3/4 means 3 ÷ 4.
  3. Dividing by a unit fraction asks how many of it fit.

Example: What is 2/3 × 3/5? Tops: 2 × 3 = 6. Bottoms: 3 × 5 = 15. 6/15 = 2/5. Answer: 2/5

Multiply & Divide Fractions in Alaska

In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 12 of 14 in 5th grade Math, after Coordinate Grid and before Unlike Denominators.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    A recipe uses 1/2 cup of oats. How many cups for 2 batches?

    • 1 cup
    • 1/4 cups
    • 1/2 cups
    • 1 1/2 cups

  2. Question 2

    1 sandwiches are shared equally by 7 friends. How much does each friend get?

    • 1/8 each
    • 1/7 each
    • 7 each

  3. Question 3

    What is 1/5 × 20?

    1/5 × 20 = ?

    • 20
    • 5
    • 4
    • 1
    • 2

  4. Question 4

    What is 1/3 ÷ 2?

    1/3 ÷ 2 = ?

    • 2/3
    • 3/2
    • 1/6
    • 1/5

  5. Question 5

    What is 2/5 × 2/4?

    2/5 × 2/4 = ?

    • 4/9
    • 1/5
    • 4/5

  6. Question 6

    Without multiplying: is 3/4 × 49 more or less than 49?

    • Less than 49
    • More than 49
    • Equal to 49

More 5th grade