A fraction is made up of two parts: a numerator (the top number) and a denominator (the bottom number). When multiplying fractions, use a grid to separate the rows and columns into equal parts based on the denominators of the fractions. Shade the number cells in the rows and column based on the numerators. The overlapping area represents the product of the fractions.For example, if you want to multiply 2/3 by 3/4:
Draw a rectangle and divide it into 3 rows (for 2/3) and 4 columns (for 3/4)
Shade 2 out of 3 columns (for 2/3) and 3 out of 4 rows (for 3/4)
The numerator of the product is the number of squares that are shaded by both the column and the rows
The denominator of the product is the total number of squares drawn
If the numerator of the first or second fraction is larger than its denominator, you will need to add extra rows or columns to the rectangle so that you don't run out of squares to shade. For instance, if the first fraction is 7/2, you need to multiply the number of rows by 4, because 7/2 is 3.5 and if you round that up it is 4. The total value of the rectangle would then be 4, so when you determine the product of the fractions by counting the squares, you will need to multiply that by 4.
