understand fraction multiplication

Question

multiply a ____________ number and a proper fraction

Answer 1

To multiply a whole number and a proper fraction, you can follow these steps:

1. Convert the Whole Number to a Fraction: Write the whole number as a fraction by placing it over 1. For example, if the whole number is 3, you can write it as $\frac{3}{1}$.

2. Multiply the Fractions: When you multiply two fractions, you multiply the numerators together and the denominators together. So if you have $\frac{3}{1}$ and a proper fraction like $\frac{2}{5}$, you would multiply them as follows: $$\frac{3}{1}\times \frac{2}{5}=\frac{3\times 2}{1\times 5}=\frac{6}{5}$$

3. Simplify if Necessary: In this case, $\frac{6}{5}$ is an improper fraction but can be left as is unless you need a mixed number format (which would be $1\frac{1}{5}$).

Thus, when multiplying a whole number by a proper fraction, just treat the whole number as a fraction and follow the steps to find the result!