Multiply these two fractions: [tex]$\frac{1}{4} \times \frac{4}{9}=?$[/tex]
Answer (1)
Multiply the numerators: 1 \t \t × 4 = 4 .
Multiply the denominators: 4 \t \t × 9 = 36 .
Simplify the resulting fraction 36 4 by dividing both numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 4.
The simplified fraction is 9 1 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are asked to multiply two fractions: 4 1 and 9 4 . This is a straightforward multiplication problem.
Multiplying the Fractions To multiply fractions, we multiply the numerators together and the denominators together. So, we have: 4 1 × 9 4 = 4 × 9 1 × 4 = 36 4
Simplifying the Fraction Now we need to simplify the fraction 36 4 . Both the numerator and the denominator are divisible by 4. Dividing both by 4, we get: 36 ÷ 4 4 ÷ 4 = 9 1
Final Answer Therefore, the product of the two fractions is 9 1 .
Examples
Fractions are used in everyday life, such as when baking a cake. If a recipe calls for 4 1 cup of sugar and you only want to make 9 4 of the recipe, you would multiply 4 1 × 9 4 to find out how much sugar you need. This calculation ensures you get the proportions right for your smaller batch, maintaining the cake's deliciousness. Understanding fraction multiplication is key to scaling recipes and other real-world measurements accurately.
