Multiplying Fractions with Whole Numbers

Fraction is a way of representing a part of a whole or a portion of something. For example, there is pizza divided into 4 equal parts. If you eat 1 slice, you have eaten 1/4 of the pizza. Here 1 is the numerator which tells us how many parts you have. 4 is the denominator and tells us how many equal parts the whole is divided into.
 

Whole numbers are the natural numbers, along with zero. The set of whole numbers is 0, 1, 2, … The difference between natural and whole numbers is that whole numbers include 0, while natural numbers begin from 1.
 

Multiplying fractions by whole numbers is similar to adding the same fraction repeatedly. Where the fraction is added as many times as the whole number indicates. To multiply the fractions, we multiply the numerators together and the denominators together, and then simplify the result if needed. If we are multiplying the fraction by a whole number, we first write that whole number as a fraction by putting 1 over it. Then we use the multiplication rule that is a/b × c/d gives (a × c )/(b × d). The same rule works when multiplying fractions with whole numbers.
 

To multiply mixed fractions, we first need to convert those mixed fractions to an improper fraction. After converting it to improper fraction, follow these steps to multiply:

Step 1: Convert the mixed fraction into an improper fraction.

Step 2: Convert a whole number into a fraction by placing 1 over it.

Step 3: Multiply the numerators.

Step 4: Multiply the denominators.

Step 5: Simplify the result if needed.

For example, multiply 1 1/6 x 5

• Convert 1 1/6 into an improper fraction that is 7/6.

• Now convert 5 into a fraction by putting 1 over it 

•  Now multiply 7/6 x 5/1 
  7 ✕ 5 = 35
  6 ✕ 1 = 6 

•  The result is 35/6, which is 556 as a mixed fraction.
   

• Construction and Measurement
  It is used when we are working on home improvement tasks like cutting wood, measuring fabric. For example, if one piece of wood is 3/4 meter long, and you need 5 pieces, so you should multiply them 3/4 ✕ 5 is 15/4. 

• Education and Grading
  Teachers use fractions to calculate the grading and percentage. Suppose a quiz has 10 questions, and each is 1/10 of the total score. If a student answers 7 questions right, they will earn 1/10  ✕ 7 = 7/10 or 70%. This helps to assess performance clearly.

• Crafts and Arts 
  Artists and crafters often divide their materials into fractions for symmetry and balance. Let us take an example, if each decor uses 1/8 yard of ribbon and 12 decors are needed so we multiply 1/8 x 12 which gives 12/8 ribbon is needed. So by learning this concept, we can ensure the precision in supply use.