Ben and Alia each did some work at a school fair.
- Ben spent 23 of an hour setting up the stalls and 14 of an hour sweeping the floor. How many hours did he spend altogether? Give your answer as a fraction.
- Alia has 9 litres of fruit punch. She pours it into jugs, and each jug holds 35 of a litre. How many jugs can she fill completely?
Need a hint?
For (a), change both fractions so they have the same denominator. For (b), think how many 35 litres fit into 1 litre, then into 9 litres.
Worked answer
- (a) Common denominator of 3 and 4 is 12.
- 23 = 812 and 14 = 312.
- 812 + 312 = 1112. Ben spent 1112 of an hour.
- (b) Number of jugs = 9 ÷ 35.
- Dividing by 35 is the same as multiplying by 53.
- 9 × 53 = 45 ÷ 3 = 15.
- Alia can fill 15 jugs.
The mistake this question tests
Simplest form in final fraction answers
Pupils often add the numerators and the denominators in (a), giving 37. In (b) they multiply 9 by 35 instead of turning the fraction upside down.
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