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5th grade · Math · Unit 12 of 15

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: NY-5.NF.3; NY-5.NF.4; NY-5.NF.5; NY-5.NF.6; NY-5.NF.7 · a fraction as division, multiplying fractions, multiplication as scaling, real-world problems such as scaling a recipe, 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 New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 12 of 15 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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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

    5 loaves of bread are shared equally by 4 friends. How much does each friend get?

    • 5/9 each
    • 1/4 each
    • 1 1/4 each
    • 4/5 each

  2. Question 2

    What is 2/6 × 2/3?

    2/6 × 2/3 = ?

    • 4/9
    • 1/2
    • 2/9

  3. Question 3

    What is 1/3 × 9?

    1/3 × 9 = ?

    • 0
    • 3
    • 5
    • 4
    • 9

  4. Question 4

    What is 1/4 ÷ 4?

    1/4 ÷ 4 = ?

    • 1/8
    • 1
    • 1/16

  5. Question 5

    What is 3 ÷ 1/2?

    • 5
    • 3
    • 6
    • 2

  6. Question 6

    Without multiplying: is 9/8 × 24 more or less than 24?

    • Less than 24
    • More than 24
    • Equal to 24

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