When working in the kitchen and preparing recipes, we use fractions all the time. For example, when baking a pie, you need to know how to measure out ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, and water. Usually, the measurements are shown as fractions on the recipe. In this lesson, you will look at how to use fractions in your daily life in the kitchen!

Fruit punch is fun to drink and fun to make! What happens when you need more than one batch? This is an example of when we need to work with fractions to double or triple recipes. Watch as we make a double batch of fruit punch!

Can you see that this recipe is for five people? We'll need more because you have 10 people coming over for a party. You need to double the fruit punch in order to have enough for 10 people. Doubled means multiply by two or add the original amount.

Let's do a quick review on how to add fractions with the same denominators, like in the example of the fruit punch recipe above.

Now let's look at another recipe example. Try this activity where you will practice halving a recipe.

We want to make half of the following fruit punch recipe for 5 people:

• 1/2 cup of limeade concentrate
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 3 cups of water
• 2 1/4 cups of pop
  

How do we half a recipe?

Solution

When we divide something in half we divide by 2.

What is half of 1/2 cup of limeade?

Solution

Half is 1/4 cup of limeade (1/2  ÷  2 = 1/4).

What is half of 1/2 cup of orange juice?

Solution

Half is 1/4 cup of orange juice (1/2  ÷  2 = 1/4).

What is half of 3 cups of water?

Solution

Half is 1 1/2 cup of water (3 ÷  2 = 1 1/2).

What is half of 2 1/4 cups of pop? (Hint: What happens when we divide fractions?)

Solution

When you divide fractions, the denominator gets BIGGER not smaller (1/4  ÷ 2 = 1/8). Therefore, half is 1 1/8 cups of pop. (2 1/4  ÷ 2 = 1 1/8)

What would this recipe look like now if we to use half of it?

Solution

Half of recipe = 1/4 cup limeade, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 1/8 cups pop

  Self-check!