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Work out fraction

muddipawsmuddipaws Posts: 3,300
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How do I work out 1/16th of 250 litres?

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    Hugh JboobsHugh Jboobs Posts: 15,316
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    Divide 250 by 16.

    Your answer is 15.625 litres.
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    technologisttechnologist Posts: 13,380
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    Long division of 250 by 16

    16 goes into 160 : 10 times leaving remainder of 90
    16 goes into 90 :5 times leaving remainder of 10
    1.6 goes into 10 6 times leaving reminder of 0.4
    0.16 goes into 0.4 :2 times leaving remainder of 0.08
    0.916 gues into 0.08 :5 times with no remainder

    So the answer is 15.625
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    smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    Alternatively (how I did it in my head):
    Divide both by 2 to give an eighth of 125
    Knowing 120 is going to be divisible by 8 gives 5/8th remainder
    120 divided by 8 = 60 divide by 4 = 30 divided by 2 = 15
    so answer 15 5/8ths
    an eighth is 0.125 so multiply by 5 to give 0.625

    looks long and difficult, but took 20 times as long to work out how I did it than to do it.
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    muddipawsmuddipaws Posts: 3,300
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    Thank you everyone, very helpful
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    chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    General rule.

    If you have to work out a fraction a/b of a number c

    Multiply c by a then divide the result by b

    So 3/5 of 100 is

    3x100 = 300, 300/5 = 60

    Or in the OP

    1/16 of 250
    250x1 = 250, 250/16 = 15.625
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    nanscombenanscombe Posts: 16,588
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    If you are feeling really lazy type 1/16 * 250 into google and get 15.625.
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    Hugh JboobsHugh Jboobs Posts: 15,316
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    nanscombe wrote: »
    If you are feeling really lazy type 1/16 * 250 into google and get 15.625.

    Or if you're feeling even lazier, just type in 250/16.
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    nanscombenanscombe Posts: 16,588
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    Or if you're feeling even lazier, just type in 250/16.

    Ah yes but the OP did type ... :p
    muddipaws wrote: »
    How do I work out 1/16th of 250 litres?
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    Hugh JboobsHugh Jboobs Posts: 15,316
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    nanscombe wrote: »
    Ah yes but the OP did type ... :p

    I know....I don't quite understand your point. :confused:

    Simply dividing something by 16 is the same as multiplying it by one-sixteenth. And a lot easier.
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    TUTV ViewerTUTV Viewer Posts: 6,236
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    muddipaws wrote: »
    How do I work out 1/16th of 250 litres?

    The answer, as mentioned many times above is indeed 15.625 litres, however, if presented with the question in that format I would respond with

    15 5/8 (Fifteen and five eighths)
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 12,830
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    Multiply by 4 to give 64

    Then divide by 1000 to give 64/1000

    Then divide by 8 to give 8/125, which is the smallest fraction.
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    bart4858bart4858 Posts: 11,436
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    nanscombe wrote: »
    If you are feeling really lazy type 1/16 * 250 into google and get 15.625.

    Just "1/16 of 250" will do. However it doesn't like "1/16th of 250".

    Whether the OP will understand the answer, with 3 decimal places, is another matter. (It will likely be presented to a greater accuracy than the numbers used to work it out.)
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    muddipaws wrote: »
    How do I work out 1/16th of 250 litres?

    Simply divide 250 by 16 to get 15.625 as everyone else has said.

    However, are you trying to convert an imperial measure into a metric measure?
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    smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    I know I haven't been to school for almost 40 years, but this is the sort of thing most 12 year olds should be able to do easily. Has understanding of simple arithmetic really plummeted so much?
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    bart4858bart4858 Posts: 11,436
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    Long division of 250 by 16

    16 goes into 160 : 10 times leaving remainder of 90
    16 goes into 90 :5 times leaving remainder of 10
    1.6 goes into 10 6 times leaving reminder of 0.4
    0.16 goes into 0.4 :2 times leaving remainder of 0.08
    0.916 gues into 0.08 :5 times with no remainder

    So the answer is 15.625
    Alternatively (how I did it in my head):
    Divide both by 2 to give an eighth of 125
    Knowing 120 is going to be divisible by 8 gives 5/8th remainder
    120 divided by 8 = 60 divide by 4 = 30 divided by 2 = 15
    so answer 15 5/8ths
    an eighth is 0.125 so multiply by 5 to give 0.625

    looks long and difficult, but took 20 times as long to work out how I did it than to do it.

    Because it is! (Especially given that the OP seems to be struggling with the concept of fractions and division!)

    Just halve 250, and repeat 3 more times.

    (You will get 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.625. If even that is too hard, use a ruler, pen and scissors. Cut a strip 250mm long. Fold it in half lengthways four times. Measure the result, it should be about 16mm; not quite as accurate, but then we don't know the 250 or 1/16 were that accurate either.)
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    bart4858 wrote: »
    Because it is! (Especially given that the OP seems to be struggling with the concept of fractions and division!)

    Just halve 250, and repeat 3 more times.

    (You will get 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.625. If even that is too hard, use a ruler, pen and scissors. Cut a strip 250mm long. Fold it in half lengthways four times. Measure the result, it should be about 16mm; not quite as accurate, but then we don't know the 250 or 1/16 were that accurate either.)

    I pray to all dieties almighty I hope you are taking the rising piss.

    Calculator, phone, even a ****ing abacus can work this out. 250 divided by 16.
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    gomezzgomezz Posts: 44,625
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    My initial thought would be what is the answer going to be used for? For example, if it is to split a restaurant bill to give a per head sum including a fair tip, I wouldn't be looking at being so precise with any answer.
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    bart4858bart4858 Posts: 11,436
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    Gormagon wrote: »
    I pray to all dieties almighty I hope you are taking the rising piss.

    I was showing alternative and IMO simpler ways of dividing by 16, if you weren't just going to give up on arithmetic and rely on a machine to do even the simplest task
    Calculator, phone, even a ****ing abacus can work this out. 250 divided by 16.
    Using a calculator or phone is a bit of a cop-out (and I'm sure even the OP can sort that out that part once he knows what calculation to do.)

    But I would be interested in how you'd use an abacus to do this...
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    bobcarbobcar Posts: 19,424
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    The best advice for the OP would be to take a basic maths/arithmetic course, it would help them with the rest of their lives.
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