Children need to understand the ways to use fractions, decimals
and percents in everyday life. There is nothing to worry about as
decimals, percents, and fractions, as they are just the different
types to show a same value.
The general information mentioned below about fractions, decimals
and percents is very helpful for young children.
Fractions:
A fraction is part of a whole. Fractions are mostly language-based
rather than Math-based. For example, people usually refer to quarter
of a tank of fuel or half of cup of tea, each describing fractions
of a whole. Whereas, fractions used in Math make use of numbers to
represent approximate proportions.
You may also use the term, one out of four and can think of one as
a fraction and four as a whole. In case, you use term as four of them,
then there would be no longer any fraction existing, as it will be
a full digit.
Regardless of fractions being hugely language-based functions, it
is still vital to know the role of Math involved in it.
Calculating Fractions:
For example, if you have a mixing bowl that has the capacity to hold
two cups, and you need to blend 2/3 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of milk,
and 1/2 cup of water, so will it fit in the bowl?
Primarily, while adding fractions you need to decide the units that
you will be using. Thus, addition of 1/2 to 1/4 becomes a simple task
and you can add another one making the fraction to 3/4. However, adding
3/4 to 2/3 is not so easy. Hence, you will have to find a common unit
for both 4 and 3, if you cannot than consider any other number.
However, in this example, it is 12, which is also common to both
the fractions.Now, you just need to specify both the fractions. Next,
you have concentrate on twelfths, instead of thirds and quarters.
You can add eight twelfths to nine twelfths, just like 9/12 + 8/12
= 17/12.
Now, the upper digit is greater than the lower, so it is not an appropriate
fraction, hence divide 12/17, which would be 5/12, and that is your
required fraction that would fit into the bowl.
Decimals:
The finest way to calculate a number that is less than a whole number
is through decimals. Decimals make use of a point, which describes
any digit to the right of it as a fraction of a whole number. For
example, the number 2.6 describes two complete units and six fractional
parts.
Here, with the use of decimals, the parts may be either of ten (.6),
one thousand (0.049), and one hundred (.05).
Calculating Decimals:
A decimal point provides you a point, which is common to all decimal
numbers. All the four elementary functions addition, division, multiplication,
and subtraction work similarly in decimals.
Percentages:
Percentage is a means to describe fractions of a whole. However,
you may consider it as a rate rather than a number. For example, 20%
will be always twenty parts in every hundred. Another common example
is a 10% figure, ten cents in every dollars, and 10 dollars in every
100 dollars and so on.
Calculating Percentages:
It is very easy to calculate percentage without a calculator. For
example, if a man gets a 4% increment in his allowance of $141.20,
then what is the increased salary amount of that person?
First, consider the 4% as the four fractions in a hundred, which
turns into .04 if converted in decimals. Now, multiply 0.04 x 141.20
that is 5.648, and the increased percentage in that person's allowance
would be $5.65.
To conclude, students need to get familiar with the rule that a fraction
is a percent, and a percent is a decimal.