Multiply a fraction by a whole number — think of it as repeated addition!
Multiplying a fraction by a whole number is repeated addition of that fraction. 4 × (3/5) means 3/5 + 3/5 + 3/5 + 3/5. The shortcut: multiply the whole number by the numerator and keep the denominator the same.
n × (a/b) = (n × a) / b. Multiply the whole number by the numerator; keep the denominator.
Each glass holds 2/3 of a cup. You pour 5 glasses. 5 × (2/3) = (5 × 2)/3 = 10/3 = 3⅓ cups of milk total!
3 × (2/5) shown as repeated groups:
Three groups of 2/5 gives 6/5, which converts to the mixed number 1⅕.
How to multiply a fraction by a whole number:
What is 6 × (3/4)?
Remember This!
Sanity-check your answer: 6 × (3/4) should be less than 6 × 1 = 6, and more than 6 × (1/2) = 3. Our answer of 4.5 is in that range — good sign!