Fraction word problems

A great variety of fraction word problems with solutions. These word problems will help you find out when you need to add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions.

1. Sarah knows 8 of the 25 students in her class. Write a fraction showing the number of students Sarah knows.

Solution

8/25

2. Peter correctly solved 18 out of the 20 math problems the teacher gave him. Write a fraction showing the number of math problems Peter solved correctly.

Solution

18/20

3. Darlene ate 3/5 of her pizza. How much pizza can Darlene share with her sister?

Solution

1 represents the entire pizza. To find how much pizza is left, just do 1 - 3/5

1 - 3/5 = 1/1 - 3/5 = 5/5 - 3/5 = 2/5

Darlene can share 2/5 of the pizza.

4. Last week, Steve spent 3 1/2 hours playing soccer and 4 1/2 hours playing table tennis. How much time did Steve spend playing both sports?

Solution

Just add 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 together.

3 1/2 + 4 1/2 = (3 + 4) + 1/2 + 1/2 = 7 + 1 = 8

Steve spent 8 hours playing both sports.

5. John jogged 1 3/4 miles yesterday and 2 1/2 miles today. How many miles did John spend jogging for the past two days?

Solution

Just add 1 3/4 and 2 1/2 together.

1 + 2 = 3

3/4 + 1/2 = 3/4 + 2/4 = 5/4

John jogged 3 5/4 miles for the past two days.

6. Maria bought a pizza and ate half of it. Then, she gave the leftover to his brother and his brother ate half of it. How much of the pizza did his brother eat? 

Solution

The brother ate half of half the pizza.

Half of half = 1/2 of 1/2 = 1/2 × 1/2 = 1/4

7. Anthony caught some fish that weighted 6 1/2 pounds. If he gave 4 1/4 pounds of fish to some friends, how much fish does he have for himself?

Solution

Subtract 4 1/4 from 6 1/2.

6 - 4 = 2

1/2 - 1/4 = 2/4 - 1/4 = 1/4

Anthony has 2 1/4 pounds of fish for himself.

8. 1/4 of a tablespoon of baking soda is needed to make a loaf of bread. How many loaves of bread can be made with 5 tablespoons of baking soda?

Solution

Divide 5 by 1/4

5  ÷ 1/4 = 5/1 ÷ 1/4 = 5/1  × 4/1 = 20/1 = 20

20 loaves of bread can be made.

9. A recipe calls for 2 1/8 cups of butter for a casserole. How much butter is needed to make 6 1/2 casseroles?

Solution

Just multiply 2 1/8 by 6 1/2

2  1/8  × 6 1/2 = (2 × 8 + 1)/8 × (6 × 2 + 1)/2

2  1/8  × 6 1/2 = 17/8 × 13/2 = (17 × 13)/(8 × 2)  

2  1/8  × 6 1/2 = 221/16 = 13.8125

To make 6 1/2 casseroles, the recipe will need 13.8125 cups of butter. 

10. Kevin cooked 8 1/4 pounds of meat for a dinner. If each serving is 3/4 pound, how many servings did he prepare?

Solution

Just divide 8 1/4 by 3/4

8 1/4 ÷ 3/4 = (8 × 4 + 1)/4 ÷ 3/4 = 33/4 ÷ 3/4 = 33/4 × 4/3 = 132/12 = 11

Kevin prepared 11 servings.