NCERT Class 7 Mathematics

32 MATHEMATICS

7. Ritu ate

3

5 part of an apple and the remaining apple was eaten by her brother Somu.

How much part of the apple did Somu eat? Who had the larger share? By how

much?

8. Michael finished colouring a picture in
   7
   12
   hour. Vaibhav finished colouring the same

picture in

3

4

hour. Who worked longer? By what fraction was it longer?

2.3 MULTIPLICATION OF FRACTIONS

You know how to find the area of a rectangle. It is equal to length × breadth. If the length

and breadth of a rectangle are 7 cm and 4 cm respectively, then what will be its area? Its

area would be 7 × 4 = 28 cm^2.

What will be the area of the rectangle if its length and breadth are^7

1

2

cm and

31

2

cm respectively? You will say it will be^7

1

2

×^3

1

2

=

15

2

×

7

2

cm^2. The numbers

15

2

and

7

2

are fractions. To calculate the area of the given rectangle, we need to know how to

multiply fractions. We shall learn that now.

2.3.1 Multiplication of a Fraction by a Whole Number

Observe the pictures at the left (Fig 2.1). Each shaded part is

1

4 part of

a circle. How much will the two shaded parts represent together? They

will represent

11

44

 =

2 1

4

.

Combining the two shaded parts, we get Fig 2.2. What part of a circle does the

shaded part in Fig 2.2 represent? It represents

2

4 part of a circle.

Fig 2.1

Fig 2.2

or