3 Minute Maths

GCSE maths walkthrough videos and worksheets

How to add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions

by 82 Comments

How to add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions is an important foundational skill.

Learn these, practice them and always keep to the same methods!

There are 6 main numeracy skills that will help with your maths. Click here to read more.

Click here to visit subtraction skills, multiplication skills, divisions skills videos.

Fraction manipulation represents around 1/3rd (yes, really!) of a typical GCSE paper. Questions such as:

  • 1/3 + 7/8 = ?
  • percentages
  • ratio
  • division
  • comparisons
  • gradient
  • equations
  • algebra
  • probability
  • and so on ..

… all will use fractions in some form.

The study of fractions is one of the most important parts of foundational maths study. Fractions can be a little easier to ‘visualise’ when you are calculating. Try to develop a ‘reasonableness check’ while you are working through the calculations. For instance:

A quarter of 63456 is around 15,000

  • because it’s nearly 60,000.
  • and
  • a quarter is half of a half*

try to ‘see’ a half of a half as a quarter, like this:

 the quarter is half of the half

It gets a little trickier with some advanced fractions. Perhaps using ‘nearly equivalents’ would be helpful… such as 9/16 is around a half, or, 3/14 is a little less than a quarter.

Try some of the videos. Maybe you could stop halfway and try to guess the answer.

Equivalent fractions

Mixed numbers to improper fractions

Improper fractions to mixed numbers

How to add fractions – part 1

How to add fractions – part 2

How to takeaway or subtract fractions – part 1

How to takeway or subtract fractions – part 2

How top multiply fractions

How to multiply mixed fractions – including whole numbers

How to divide fractions – coming soon 🙂

 

Watch how to add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions on my YouTube channel.

Comments

  1. ilLinoiSe says

    Thank you so much again love your vids they help alot. Helped revise on my
    test.

    By the way if i my put a little suggestion, you should get a a better
    microphone so that the quality of hearing is better. Just a little
    suggestion.

    Reply

  9. Huong Cao says

    What happens if theres a whole number in front of a mixed number if your
    dividing? Such as 12 divided by 3 1/3

    Reply

  16. Marcus Goring says

    So helpful for homeschooling my 12 yr old son .Thankyou Simon you explain
    maths really well ,it’s now our favourite subject!

    Reply

  25. Simon Deacon says

    Hi – glad it was helpful. There’s a few adding fractions videos – if you search on the channel you should find them. Hope that’s OK. All best S

    Reply

  29. misslilyskye says

    I think if I got to learn math while listening to his accent, I would have done a lot better lol just listening to him makes it fun, not to mention he makes it seem so much simpler than other teachers I’ve had, that’s for sure 🙂

    Reply

  34. lupelupita diaz says

    thats what i got confused with two whole numbers with fractions thx alot it really helped me i got a A+ in math class better then B+ =D

    Reply

  57. Antonio Darkstar says

    well idk about you peeps but i learned more in a 3 min video then i did in a whole 2 weeks of school lol.

    Reply

  72. Simon Deacon says

    Hi – I’ve only really seen a grid used with muliplication of whole numbers. It’s a good method and can work well if you’re happy to use it. The important thing is to find a method that suits you and always use it. Thanks for your question and good luck with your maths!

    Reply

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