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Maths question


SO16_Saint
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I don't think I'm getting this over well.

 

How do I explain to a 10 yo that 0.75 = 3/4 .

 

I can explain why 0.5 = 1/2 but how do you explain that 0.75 becomes 3/4?

 

How are you explaining that 0.5=1/2, and why does the concept not then work for 3/4?

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A fraction, i.e 3/4, is simply a way of writing the answer to the question; what is three divided by four? If you get a calculator and input 3 divided by 4, the answer will be 0.75

 

But if you have "put 0.75 as a fraction" how do you know/explain this as being 3/4??

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Start with 0.75/1

 

A fraction has to have whole numbers.

 

Times 0.75 by 1 then 2 then 3 etc.

 

When you try timesing by 4 you finally get a whole number - 0.75 x 4 = 3

 

So the top of fraction now equals 3, but you have to times the bottom by the same amount to keep the fraction the same; 4 x 1 = 4

 

Hey presto 0.75 = 0.75/1 = 3/4

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I would use a pizza.

 

Strangely this is probably the best advice on here. I have just done exactly the same with my 9 year old son. The maths are not the important thing at the moment - it's simply understanding the relationship between decimals, percentages and fractions.

 

I struggled initially to explain the mathematical workings - without too much success. Then I used a pizza slices.

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If you really need to explain this, you can draw a large circle or square, dividing it into 4 sections. I each you draw 25 people/dots/whatever. It will then be clear that each quarter is 24 and three quarters are 75. In other words 75 hundredths is the same as three quarters. then explain that the decimal notation of 75 hundredths is 0.75.

 

Honestly, though, I don't feel it's entirely necessary at first. I would say that it's enough to know those three decimals correspond to those fractions and the understanding of decimals can grow out from there, rather than expecting them to understand the concept of decimals first.

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If you really need to explain this, you can draw a large circle or square, dividing it into 4 sections. I each you draw 25 people/dots/whatever. It will then be clear that each quarter is 24 and three quarters are 75. In other words 75 hundredths is the same as three quarters. then explain that the decimal notation of 75 hundredths is 0.75.

 

Honestly, though, I don't feel it's entirely necessary at first. I would say that it's enough to know those three decimals correspond to those fractions and the understanding of decimals can grow out from there, rather than expecting them to understand the concept of decimals first.

 

Cheers ns, you seem to know what youre talking about. How large should the circle be? Can you give some context? Do the 4 sections have to be the same size? Would it be ok to draw 25 dogs and do all the dogs have to look the same? Thanks in advance.

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You need to explain that we can express quantities as either a fraction or a number. Perhaps get 10 sweets or something and arrange into four quarters. i.e four sweets.

 

Prove that the whole amount is 100%, 4/4ths and so 1.

 

If you take one sweet away you are left with 3/4ths, or 75% which can also be express as 0.75 as you now you have removed a part of the original whole unit and are expressing that missing fraction as a decimal.

 

What is it the ten year old is struggling with ? The concept of fractions ? Percentages or decimals ?

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Thanks for all the replies. Got it sorted in the end.

 

Thinking it through, it's easy to see how a 10yo is confused when a quarter is 1/4, three quarters is 3/4 but two quarters ( a half ) is 1/2 - "why isn't it 2/4".

 

Damn maths!!

 

It is 2/4 but divide top and bottom by 2 to make it simpler.

 

Another question- should vulgar fractions be taught to young children?

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You could do it with money.

 

Work around a pound being 'one', the pennies are hundreths (100 x 1p =£1)

 

1p = 1%, 10p+10% etc..

 

Work around this to get the idea 50p = 50%

 

50p add 50p =£1 (50p is half of a pound, a half is one part out of 2, written as 1/2, 50p and 50p = a whole one, 1/2 add 1/2 equals 2/2 etc.

 

The equalvalencies are prob not that important at this stage, more important to understand decimals/fractions/percentages as three seperate entities - once child has an understanding of all three the links/conversions will be fairly self explanatory.

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Ask her 'add .25 to .75' 'equals 1.00 yes?'

 

'so how many .25's are thee in .75?' '3, yes?' 'So, that tells us that .25 is the same as1/3. Tara.

 

Very convoluted, I know but I have that weird kind if learning style. Hence, I was a very tough pupil for your run of the mill comprehensive teacher, leading to my poor educational level.

 

My explanation of my 'learning style' is to emphasise the key to being a good teacher for you. You must adapt your 'teaching style' to HER 'learning style'

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The key is equivalent fractions.

 

 

1) Equivalent fractions: multiply both terms (numerator and denominator) of the fraction 3/4 by 25 and you get 75/100. [And by the reverse process, divide both terms of the fraction 75/100 by 25 and you get the equivalent fraction of 3/4.]

 

2) Decimal numbers are decimal fractions; so 0.75 is the same as 75/100.

 

3) Percentages (by definition) are out of 100; so 75/100 is the same as 75% (75 out of 100).

Edited by Hamilton Saint
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The key is equivalent fractions.

 

 

1) Equivalent fractions: multiply both terms (numerator and denominator) of the fraction 3/4 by 25 and you get 75/100. [And by the reverse process, divide both terms of the fraction 75/100 by 25 and you get the equivalent fraction of 3/4.]

 

2) Decimal numbers are decimal fractions; so 0.75 is the same as 75/100.

 

3) Percentages (by definition) are out of 100; so 75/100 is the same as 75% (75 out of 100).

 

Bit abstract for a 10 year-old?

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Multiply the top and bottom part of the fraction 3/4 by 25 and that will give you 75/100. Same thing except 3/4 is the simplest form when reducing fractions.

 

But that's part of the original question:

 

How would she know that she would have to (in reverse, to get to 3/4) divide 75 by 25 and 100 by 25?

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