Multiplying fractions with a calculator can seem unnatural at first, but when you get the hang of it, it can be far faster than working out the problems on pen and paper.
All you need to do is convert the fractions in the problem to their decimal equivalents, then multiply the values. If you’re dealing with common fractions, this can often be done in your head and the answer will often be a number that you’ll recognize as a common fraction.
Because most calculators only work with decimal numbers, converting fractions back and forth to decimals is a key part of the process. It can be helpful to memorize certain common decimal equivalents, and if you don’t have your 1/4ths, 1/8ths and 16ths all on the tip of your mathematical tongue, a great resource is an equivalent fractions chart that shows you all the ways a fraction matches up to its decimal counterpart.
For less common fractions, your calculator has that trusty division operator to help you out.
Converting Fractions to Decimals Using a Calculator
To convert a fraction to a decimal, simply divide the numerator by the denominator. In fact, the horizontal bar between the numerator and denominator is often called a “division bar” to signify exactly this operation. Here’s a simple example…
Multiplying with the Calculator
Once you have both multiplicands in the problem in decimal form, just use the standard multiplication operation on the calculator to get your final product!
How Do I Go From a Decimal Back to a Fraction?
We discussed using a fraction chart for familiar fractions, but if you wind up with some oddball decimal numbers the path back to a fraction can be a lot more complicated.
