Speed calculation · lesson 24 of 25 · free

Fractions × and ÷: cancel first — Speed Calculation

Multiplying fractions and then simplifying a big answer is slow. Cancel first: any top number and any bottom number that share a factor can both be divided by it. The numbers stay tiny and the answer comes out already in lowest terms. To divide, flip the second fraction and multiply.

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The fast method

Cancel first — “divide a top and a bottom by the same number before multiplying”

  1. Dividing? Flip the second fraction and multiply: ÷ 2/3 is × 3/2.
  2. Cancel: a top and a bottom that share a factor — divide both by it.
  3. Multiply what is left: tops × tops, bottoms × bottoms. A bottom of 1 means a whole number.

Use it for: Recipes and sharing (half of 3/4 of a cake), fractions in Class 6–8, and olympiad speed rounds.

🧮 Check your own sums with the free Fraction calculator — it shows the working.

Worked example: 4/9 × 3/8 = 1/6

  1. 4 and 8 share 4: 4 → 1, 8 → 2.
  2. 3 and 9 share 3: 3 → 1, 9 → 3.
  3. 1/3 × 1/2 = 1/6.

Check: 4 × 3 = 12 and 9 × 8 = 72; 12/72 = 1/6 ✓

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✓ Written and checked by the TalentJR team · Updated 13 Oct 2026 · How we make our lessons

✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, then tap your answer — or type it and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

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🏁 Lesson 24 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass — and beat the clock: finish within 4 min.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the ✂️ Cancel Captain badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 10 lessons of Part 4 · Speed decimals, fractions and percentages. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Multiplying and Dividing Fractions Worksheet

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