In everyday life, we often encounter situations where we need to calculate a fraction of an amount. Whether it’s dividing a meal between friends or working out discounts, knowing how to determine fractions is an indispensable skill. In this article, we explore three different methods for working out the fraction of an amount.

1.The Multiplication Method

This is probably the simplest and most straightforward method for finding the fraction of an amount. It involves directly multiplying the fraction with the given amount.

Step 1: Convert the fraction into a decimal by dividing the numerator by the denominator.

Step 2: Multiply the decimal by the amount you want to find the fraction of.

For example, if you want to calculate ⅔ of 30:

Step 1: Convert ⅔ into a decimal: 2 ÷ 3 = 0.6666 (rounded)

Step 2: Multiply the decimal by 30: 0.6666 x 30 =20

So, ⅔ of 30 is approximately equal to 20.

2.The Division and Multiplication Method

This method is more straightforward when dealing with whole numbers. It entails dividing the amount by the denominator of the fraction and then multiplying it by the numerator.

Step 1: Divide the amount by the denominator of the fraction.

Step 2: Multiply the result by the numerator of the fraction.

For instance, to find ¾ of 16:

Step 1: Divide 16 by four (the denominator): 16 ÷4 =4

Step 2: Multiply four (the result) by three (the numerator): 4 ×3=12

So, ¾ of sixteen equals twelve.

3.The Proportional Division Method

The proportional division method is particularly helpful when dealing with difficult fractions or uneven distributions.

Step 1: Calculate each part’s individual value by dividing the total amount by the sum of the numerator and denominator of the fraction.

Step 2: Multiply the individual value (from step one) by the numerator to find the fraction of the amount.

For example, to calculate ⅗ of 25:

Step 1: Sum up the numerator and denominator: 3+5 = 8. Divide 25 by eight (the sum): 25 ÷8=3.125 (the individual value)

Step 2: Multiply three (the numerator) by the individual value: 3 ×3.125 =9.375

Thus, ⅗ of twenty-five is approximately equal to 9.375.

In conclusion, these three methods are helpful in different situations when you need to find a given fraction’s value of an amount. The multiplication method is simple and manageable for any fraction, while the division and multiplication method works best with whole numbers. The proportional division method is particularly useful in situations where you have difficult fractions and uneven distributions. Ultimately, knowing all three methods enables you to easily solve fractions whenever and wherever needed.