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.
Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 5.NF.B.5; 5.NF.B.6; 5.NF.B.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.
- To multiply fractions, multiply the tops and multiply the bottoms.
- A fraction is a division: 3/4 means 3 ÷ 4.
- 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 Arizona
In the Arizona Academic 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: Arizona Department of Education
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
A recipe uses 2/4 cup of oats. How many cups for 5 batches?
- 1/2 cups
- 1 3/4 cups
- 1/10 cups
- 2 1/2 cups
2 1/2 cups
Hint: 5 × 2/4 = 10/4.
Question 2
What is 7/8 × 40?
7/8 × 40 = ?
- 32
- 5
- 35
- 42
- 280
35
Hint: 40 ÷ 8 = 5. Then × 7.
Question 3
2 pizzas are shared equally by 8 friends. How much does each friend get?
- 1/4 each
- 1/5 each
- 4 each
- 1/8 each
1/4 each
Hint: Sharing is dividing: 2 ÷ 8 = 2/8.
Question 4
What is 1/5 × 2/5?
1/5 × 2/5 = ?
- 1/5
- 1/2
- 3/10
- 2/25
2/25
Hint: Multiply the tops. Multiply the bottoms. Simplify if you can.
Question 5
What is 1/5 ÷ 4?
1/5 ÷ 4 = ?
- 1/20
- 4/5
- 1/9
- 5/4
1/20
Hint: Split 1/5 into 4 equal parts. Each part is 1/20.
Question 6
What is 2 ÷ 1/7?
- 9
- 2
- 14
- 7
14
Hint: How many 1/7s are in 2? There are 7 in each whole, so 2 × 7.