Question

Identify the possible logic used by a child who gave the following answer. 6132332=× How would you help her clear her misunderstanding. ii) Suggest an activity to help her understand the algorithm for multiplication of two fractions.

Answer 1

We can write 6132332 it as 6.1$\times$10⁶ to make it look less complicated

Good things come in threes, including the three simple steps your students need to follow when learning how to multiply fractions:

1. Multiply the numerators (top numbers)
2. Multiply the denominators (bottom numbers)
3. If needed, simplify or reduce the fraction

And before your keen students ask, the answer is yes — unlike adding fractions, you can multiply two fractions with different denominators.

Let’s go through an example together!