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Calculate 2/3 of a wall painted in 1/3 hour

Step by step, with the reason for every step · Unit rates with fractions · Foundations

Step by step

The question

Question: 2/3 wall in 1/3 hour: how much is that per hour?

23 wall in 13 hour

A unit rate says how much for 1 hour.

Per hour means: divide by the hours.

per hour = ÷ hours

1 Write the rate

Walls divided by hours: 2/3 ÷ 1/3.

= 23 ÷ 13
walls ÷ hours

Careful!

Not the other way round.

That would be hours per wall.

Careful: not 13 ÷ 23 ✗

2 Divide

Dividing by a fraction is the same as times its flip.

Keep the first number.

Change divide to times.

Turn the second fraction upside down.

÷ 13 → × 31

So 1/3 becomes 3, and divide becomes times.

= 23 × 31

Before we multiply, we make the numbers smaller.

3 on top and 3 at the bottom both divide by 3.

A top and a bottom divided by the same number: the answer stays the same.

3 and 3: ÷ 3 → 1 and 1

So we multiply smaller numbers.

= 21 × 11

2 times 1 is 2.

So the unit rate is 2 walls per hour.

= 2 walls per hour

3 Check

Let's check: 2 walls per hour, for 1/3 hour.

2 times 1/3 is 2/3.

That is the walls we started with.

So the answer is right!

2 × 13 = 23

Let's look back.

First: write the rate.

Then: divide.

Last: check.

Answer
= 2 walls per hour

Your turn

Try this one yourself, then check:

12 wall in 16 hour
Show the answer
3 walls per hour

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