2007-01-30 16:16:43 · 7 answers · asked by Duy T 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
because say your multiplying 10 by 1/2 then your trying to find half of 10. or 10 by 1/4 is trying to find a fourth of 10
10 * 1/2 = 10/1 * 1/2 = 10*1/1*2 = 10/2 = 5
2007-01-30 16:25:59 · answer #1 · answered by Jordan Alexis 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is true with proper fractions because a fraction is really a division problem. Top number divided by bottom number. Such as one half = .5 and If you multiply (take) something .5 times then you have not even taken it one whole time thus getting a smaller number.
2007-01-31 00:23:35 · answer #2 · answered by dinky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you say fraction, I assume you mean proper fraction, because
4 times (3/2) = 6, and 6 is bigger than 4.
The answer is because, when taking a proper fraction (like 3/4), another word for multiply is "of".
So "what is 3/4 times 9" is like saying "What is 3/4 OF 9?".
2007-01-31 00:20:46 · answer #3 · answered by Puggy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Multiplying by a fraction means the same thing as "of".
Half of two pizzas is only one pizza.
"Half of" means the same as "1/2 times".
It's only going to give a larger answer if the fraction is larger than one -- like 8/5 or 4/3.
2007-01-31 00:22:28 · answer #4 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you multiply by 1, you get what you started with.
So, 12345 * 1 = 12345. Think of 1 as the middle, the status quo, keeping the same. Anything times one, is taking one whole one of itself.
If you multiply by a number bigger than one, say, 2, then you get a number twice as big, because 2 is twice as big as one.
If you multiply by a number less than one, --that is, less than a whole-- like, 1/2, it gets smaller, because 1/2 is well... half of one.
2007-01-31 00:27:37 · answer #5 · answered by brothergoosetg 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This helped me, (it's an anology I use when teaching children and when I tutor adults in math.)
try thinking of a fraction in terms of it's relative decimal number. Then think of decimal numbers as percentages.
So it makes sense that when you have a number and you 'take' a percentage of that number, you are 'taking' a piece.
so, if you are taking a piece of a piece of a piece of a piece, you will eventually go to zero. The limit is approaching zero.
2007-01-31 00:28:42 · answer #6 · answered by BIGDAWG 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when you multiply a # by anything less than 1, the number shrinks. ex: 2*1/2=1. i guess you could kind of think of it as dividing... in a way.
2007-01-31 00:26:20 · answer #7 · answered by Team_Balla 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋