Finding fractions of amounts

In a nutshell

Fractions can be used to describe a part or parts of a whole number.  You can use the numerator and the denominator of a fraction to find a fraction of an amount.

Example 1

To find $$\frac{1}{5}$$ of $$20$$, you divide $$20$$ by $$5$$.

$$20 \div 5 = 4$$​​

So $$\frac{1}{5}$$ of $$20 = \underline{4}$$

Finding fractions of a quantity

Procedure

Example 2

Calculate $$\frac{5}{8}$$ of $$32$$​.

Divide by the denominator:

​$$32 \div 8 = 4$$​​

Multiply the result by the numerator:

​$$4 \times 5 = \underline{20}$$​

Tip: The beginning of the words 'divide' and 'denominator' sound similar, which can help you to remember what to divide by.