Topics › Fractions › Q107
Fraction division · measurement division
P6 · Fractions · PSLE Maths
Question
Siti has a 5 3/8 m roll of ribbon. She cuts it into pieces of 3/4 m each to make bookmarks. How many complete pieces can she cut at most? How much ribbon will be left?
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Hint
Change both 5 3/8 m and 3/4 m into eighths, then see how many groups of 6 eighths fit into 43 eighths.
Show the answer and step-by-step explanation
Answer: complete pieces 7 pieces; ribbon left 1/8 m
- Draw total — First draw the total length, 5 3/8 m, as a bar model. Since each piece is 3/4 m, it is useful to change the total to 43/8 m.
- Each piece — Each piece is 3/4 m. In eighths, 3/4 m = 6/8 m, so each piece needs 6 small units.
- Make groups — Now the question is: How many groups of 6 small units can fit into 43 small units? This is 43 ÷ 6.
- Divide — 43 ÷ 6 = 7 remainder 1. So Siti can cut 7 complete pieces, with 1 small unit left.
- Convert back — Each small unit is 1/8 m, so the ribbon left is 1/8 m. Check: 7 × 3/4 m = 5 1/4 m, and 5 1/4 m + 1/8 m = 5 3/8 m. 📌 Key idea: when dividing a fraction by a fraction to find “how many fit”, change to the same small units first, then use whole-number division to find the complete groups and the remainder.
Method: For measurement division with fractions, use a common denominator first: find the number of small units in the total and in each piece, then divide. Convert the remainder back to the original length unit.
Practice: 3 similar questions
- Ali has 4 1/2 m of string. He cuts it into pieces of 2/3 m each. How many complete pieces can he cut at most? How much string is left?
Answer
6 pieces, 1/2 m — 4 1/2 m = 27/6 m, and 2/3 m = 4/6 m. 27 ÷ 4 = 6 remainder 3, so he can cut 6 pieces with 3 sixths left. 3/6 m = 1/2 m. Therefore, he can cut 6 pieces at most, with 1/2 m left.
- Raju has 6 2/3 m of rope. He cuts it into pieces of 5/6 m each for a class activity. How many complete pieces can he cut at most? How much rope is left?
Answer
8 pieces, 0 m — 6 2/3 m = 40/6 m, and each piece is 5/6 m. 40 ÷ 5 = 8 with no remainder. Therefore, he can cut 8 complete pieces at most, with 0 m left.
- Mei Ling has 7 1/4 m of ribbon. She first uses 1 1/2 m to decorate cards, then cuts the remaining ribbon into pieces of 5/8 m each. How many complete pieces can she cut at most? How much ribbon is left?
Answer
9 pieces, 1/8 m — Remaining ribbon: 7 1/4 − 1 1/2 = 5 3/4 m. 5 3/4 m = 46/8 m, and each piece is 5/8 m. 46 ÷ 5 = 9 remainder 1, so she can cut 9 pieces at most, with 1/8 m left.
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