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Every Day Uses of Fractions

Although they might not realize they are doing it, people use fractions almost constantly in daily life. Any time people buy, sell or use part of something, measure distances or amounts or even look at a clock, they are using fractions. Basic things like measuring time and money involve the rapid calculation of fractions.
  1. Percentages

    • While watching television, a person might see an advertisement for a store that is offering 25 percent off some items and hear on the news that unemployment is at 10 percent. Percentages are just a different way of looking at fractions. One percent of something is the same as 1/100th. So a 10 percent unemployment rate means that one person in 10 is unemployed. An item that is 25 percent off has had its price reduced by 1/4.

    Money

    • Fractions involving money are one of the most frequent encountered in daily life. In U.S. currency, a nickel is 1/20th of one dollar, a dime is 1/10th of a dollar and a quarter is 1/4 of a dollar. When a person puts money in a savings account or buys something with a credit card, fractions are also used to calculate the interest. These fractions are calculated as percentages. So a 1 percent interest rate can be converted into a fraction -- 1/100th.

    Time Capsule Variations

    • Fractions are also involved in calculating time. A second is 1/60th of a minute, a minute is 1/60th of an hour, an hour is 1/24th of a day and a day is 1/365th of a year. Phrases such as "half an hour" are commonly used. When calculating time, such as the time spent completing a project, a good knowledge of fractions can make the math much simpler.

    Cooking

    • Fractions are constantly used in cooking. For example, a recipe for oatmeal cookies might call for 3/4 of a cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 2 1/2 sticks of butter and 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg, along with other ingredients to make four dozen cookies. If a person decided he wants to make eight dozen cookies, he would need to know how to double each of those fractions in order to complete the recipe.


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