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How to Use Unit Fractions & Unit Percents to Get Whole Numbers

Fractions and percentages are for counting parts of a something. A unit fraction is a type of fraction such as 1/6, where a one is the numerator or the number on top. If you think of it as a pie, it means it is one slice of a pie cut into six slices. Percentages are similar to fractions but written differently. Percentages are portions of a pie and the pie equals 100. So half of a pie is half of 100 or 50 percent. You can easily use these unit fractions and unit percents to get whole numbers in math.

Instructions

  1. Unit Fractions

    • 1

      Write an example of a unit fraction on your paper with a pencil. For example 1/6 is a unit fraction, where there is one part of six units of something.

    • 2

      Add 1/6 to 1/6, which also looks like 1/6+1/6. It would equal 2/6 because 1+1 equals 2. When you add fractions, the denominator always remains the same and you can only add fractions with the same denominator.

    • 3

      Add another 1/6 so you have the equation 1/6+1/6+1/6. This equals 3/6. To reach the whole number you need to have 6/6, which means all the parts to 6 parts of something.

    • 4

      Add 1/6 to 3/6, which looks like 1/6+3/6. This equals 4/6. It is getting closer to the whole number 6/6. Add 1/6 to 4/6. This equals 5/6.

    • 5

      Add 1/6 to 5/6 or 1/6+5/6. It equals 6/6 which is a whole number. Once a fraction has the same number in the numerator and the denominator it is a whole number and can also be written as 1. It equals one because if you divide 6 into 6 you get one.

    Percents

    • 6

      Write the unit fraction 1/2 down on your paper. You want to change it into a percentage. Use the equation part/whole=percent/100 or 1/2 = x/100. This means that you have a fraction 1/2 and you want to know what the percentage is if there were one hundred of them. X equals the percentage you are looking for. We don't know what it is so we use the letter x to represent it.

    • 7

      Multiply 1 by 100 equals 100. Multiply 2 and x equals 2x. Then you rewrite the equation as 2x=100. To solve it, you divide both sides by 2 which leaves you x=50 or 50 percent.

    • 8

      Add another 25 percent to 50 percent. You can just add these together to get 75 percent. You add percent the same was as whole number, but 75 percent means it is 75 parts of 100 of something. You can change 75 percent into a fraction by writing 75/100.

    • 9

      Write a new equation to reach a whole number with 75 percent. You want the whole number 100/100, so write 100/100-75/100. Do the equation 100-75, which equals 25. So to reach the whole number of 100/100 from 75/100, you add 25/100.

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