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# Unitary fractions of amounts
- URL: https://www.esheets.io/unitary-fractions-of-amounts/
- Published: 2026-04-05T15:39:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-09T18:51:00.000Z
- Author: Richard Linnington
- Tags: Maths, Number

Unitary fractions of amounts help us work out equal parts of a quantity, such as finding one third of 24 sweets or one fifth of £15\. This is useful in real life whenever we share, split, or compare amounts fairly. [Jump to the questions](#practise-now)

[Looking for non-unitary fractions of amounts?](https://www.esheets.io/non-unitary-fractions-of-amounts/)

## Practise now

Worksheet preview and key skills 

### Worksheet preview

Practise unitary fractions of amounts with this self-marking maths worksheet.

The interactive worksheet below generates questions, gives instant feedback, and lets students record their score.

#### What you’ll practise

- Understanding that unit fractions have numerator 1.
- Dividing the amount by the denominator.
- Finding one equal part of the whole.
- Giving the answer with suitable units where needed.

Use the interactive worksheet below, or read the [Topic guide](#topic-guide) for the method and worked example.

## Topic guide

### What this worksheet practises

This worksheet provides practice on finding simple "unitary" fractions of an amount. A unitary fraction is any fraction where the top number (the numerator) is exactly 1, such as 1/2, 1/5, or 1/10\. This is a foundational arithmetic skill.

### Key method

Because the top number is 1, this is a single-step calculation.

- Look at the fraction you are given (e.g. 1/4).
- Look at the bottom number (the denominator). This tells you how many equal pieces the total amount needs to be split into.
- Take your total amount and **divide** it by the bottom number.
- Because the top number is just 1, you only need one of these pieces, so your division calculation gives you the final answer immediately.

### Worked example

**Find 1/5 of £40.**

Step 1: Look at the fraction. The bottom number is 5.

Step 2: Take the total amount (£40) and divide it by 5.

40 ÷ 5 = 8.

The answer is £8.

### Common mistakes to avoid

A common mistake is multiplying the amount by the denominator instead of dividing. A student asked to find 1/4 of 12 might quickly calculate 12 × 4 = 48\. Always remember: a fraction of an amount means you are taking a "piece" of it, so the final answer must be smaller than the number you started with (unless it's an improper top-heavy fraction!).

### Things to remember

You can use simple known facts to speed things up. Finding 1/2 means dividing by 2 (halving). Finding 1/4 means dividing by 4 (halving and halving again). Finding 1/10 means dividing by 10 (shifting the decimal point one place to the left). Memorising these shortcuts makes mental arithmetic much faster.