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Original poster

Maths question

74 replies

Mousewatch · 04/02/2018 15:02

Can anyone tell me what 1/3 of 3/8 is please.

Both DC answered the same, They said that's how the teacher has taught them but the answer on the answer sheet is different.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 04/02/2018 15:03

1/8

StealthPolarBear · 04/02/2018 15:04

Dying to know what else it could be

DragonsAndCakes · 04/02/2018 15:04

Me too! (I think it’s 1/8 too)

Original poster
Mousewatch · 04/02/2018 15:05

That's what I thought but they are insisting it's 1 & 1/8 and they both did the test in different rooms and had the same maths teacher Confused

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 04/02/2018 15:08

1/8 as well

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 04/02/2018 15:08

It’s definitely 1/3. How have they worked it out?

AethelflaedofMercia · 04/02/2018 15:08

Ask them to show you, on paper, how they worked it out?

TractorComesFirst · 04/02/2018 15:08

It 9/8 or 1 and 1/8.

3/8 divided by 1/3 following rules for dividing with fractions becomes 3/8 x 3/1.
(3x3)/(8x1) = 9/8.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 04/02/2018 15:09

1/8. that’ll teach me to proofread before pressing post.

dementedpixie · 04/02/2018 15:09

So its 1/3 x 3/8 ? You multiply the top numbers and multiply the bottom numbers together giving 3/24 and simplified gives 1/8

Are they thinking it's 1/3 ÷ 3/8 which would become 1/3 x 8/3 giving 8/9 which is 1 1/9

GreenTulips · 04/02/2018 15:09

If it's 1/3 of 3/8ths

Which is 1/3 times 3/8s then you would have 3x3 =9 so 9/8 which is 1 and 1/8

notanaturalmum · 04/02/2018 15:10

Tractor - a of b means a multiplied by b not divided by

Wtfdoicare · 04/02/2018 15:10

1/8. 1/3 x 3/8 = 3/24 = 1/8

Original poster
Mousewatch · 04/02/2018 15:10

TractorComesFirst Thank you.

OP posts:
TractorComesFirst · 04/02/2018 15:11

Diving fraction rules

Maths question
dementedpixie · 04/02/2018 15:11

When it's 1/3 of 3/8 it means 1/3 multiplied 3/8 not divided

Original poster
Mousewatch · 04/02/2018 15:12

Oh now I'm really confused 😂

OP posts:
MirandaWest · 04/02/2018 15:12

It’s 1/8

1/3 of 3/8 is 1/3 x 3/8 = 1/8

dementedpixie · 04/02/2018 15:12

It is not a dividing fraction though it is a multiplication

TractorComesFirst · 04/02/2018 15:12

Apologies, that's maybe where they are getting confused too

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 04/02/2018 15:12

But you don’t divide by 1/3, you have to multiply by 1/3 or divide by 3.

It can’t be 9/8 because logically, if you have 1/3 of something it has to be smaller than the number you are finding 1/3 of and 9/8 is bigger than 3/8.

RoseAndRose · 04/02/2018 15:14

You see, I would have done this by imagining I had 3/8 of a pizza left. And I wanted 1/3 of that. So that would be one of those eighth-of-a-pizza slices, there for answer has to be 1/8.

TellsEveryoneRealFacts · 04/02/2018 15:14

What is the actual question?

Is it three eighths divided by one third

or one third of three eighths?

notanaturalmum · 04/02/2018 15:14

It's a multiplication question though.

Even in English if you had 3 apples and somebody had a third, they would have taken one apple.

Do it on a calculator and the answer will be 0.125 which is 1/8

SoupDragon · 04/02/2018 15:15

It depends what the question actually said.

1/3 of 3/8 is 3/8 divided by 3 ie 1/8
1/3 x 3/8 is 9/8