Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Fractions

fliss1992

I am stuck again..

This time it's fractions :/

I have to put them in order, smallest to largest..

1/3, 5/14, 6/28

could someone please explain step by step

thanks.

Reply 1

Plantagenet Crown

Original post by fliss1992

I am stuck again..

This time it's fractions :/

I have to put them in order, smallest to largest..

1/3, 5/14, 6/28

could someone please explain step by step

thanks.

OK, so first you have to find the smallest common denominator. The smallest number that 3, 14 and 28 go into is 84.

Thus 1/3 = 28/84

5/14 = 30/84

6/28 = 18/84.

Therefore from smallest to largest: 6/28, 1/3, 5/14

Reply 2

fliss1992

how would I find the common denominator?

and to simplify the fraction do I just keep halving the number on top?

Reply 3

fliss1992

also..

there are 2400 students in a college. 1600 are female what fraction is this?

I'd like to work out the answer myself, but If you could tell me how to work it out that would be good.

Reply 4

Nitrogen

Did you fail your GCSE maths

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 5

fliss1992

I never did GCSE'S is there a problem?

Reply 6

Plantagenet Crown

Original post by fliss1992

also..

there are 2400 students in a college. 1600 are female what fraction is this?

I'd like to work out the answer myself, but If you could tell me how to work it out that would be good.

To do this you'd simply divide 1600 by 2400, so you'd get the fraction 1600/2400, but obviously this can be simplified further, I'll let you do that :smile:

I'll include the answer in the spoiler

Spoiler

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 7

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

Original post by fliss1992

I am stuck again..

This time it's fractions :/

I have to put them in order, smallest to largest..

1/3, 5/14, 6/28

could someone please explain step by step

thanks.

To solve such a task, you have to find the smallest common denominator, that is to say you have to find a denominator which fits to the fractions. Plantagenet Crown has shown you how to solve that.

Reply 8

Plantagenet Crown

Original post by fliss1992

how would I find the common denominator?

and to simplify the fraction do I just keep halving the number on top?

The common denominator is sometimes just a process of trial and error.

No, simplifications do not just involve halving.

Take for example the fraction 5/10. If we were to halve both numerator and denominator we'd get 2.5/5 which is absurd, both the numerator and denominator in a fraction must be whole numbers.

Instead look at both 5 and 10 and see which is the common factor. Both 5 and 10 can be divided by 5 so 5 is the common factor.

Therefore dividing the top (5) by 5 gives you 1 and dividing the bottom (10) by 5 gives you 2.

Therefore 5/10 = 1/2

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 9

Kallisto

Entertainment Forum Helper

Original post by fliss1992

how would I find the common denominator? (...)

Sorry, I don't have seen your extra question first. I would multiply the number of the smallest denominator (3 of 1/3 in this case) with the number of the biggest one (28 of 6/28 in this case) to find out what the common denominator must be (or could be at least). If I do that in this case I get 3*28 = 84. And then I consider how to multiply the other fractions to get the common denominator. This step is a guidance in my opinion.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 10

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Original post by fliss1992

also..

there are 2400 students in a college. 1600 are female what fraction is this?

I'd like to work out the answer myself, but If you could tell me how to work it out that would be good.

This is almost identical to the question you posted about a week ago. You really need to take a step back and learn Key Stage 3 maths from a KS3 textbook or revision guide. BBC Bitesize and similar resources may help.