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Fractions and decimals

Fractions and decimals for GCSE French Edexcel: what it means, how to set the working out, and the questions it is asked in.
  • GCSE
  • Edexcel
  • French
  • Spec R20 · R9
  • 13 min read
  • 7 revision boxes

Introduction

2 boxes
1 min read

What is fractions and decimals?

Listen to this box

Transcript

A short spoken summary of fractions and decimals and where it is used.

A spoken walk-through of fractions and decimals before you read the notes.
Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
Worth knowing: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}.
5 rows

The fractions and decimals reference table

Check the answer against an estimate before you move on, so a place-value slip is caught here.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing fractions and decimals laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
Term
Meaning
Example
Common slip
Marks
Row 1 column 1
Row 1 column 2
49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
Row 1 column 4
Row 1 column 5
Row 2 column 1
Row 2 column 2
a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Row 2 column 4
Row 2 column 5

Learning

3 boxes
3 steps

How to work with fractions and decimals

Read the units in the question before you start; a converted unit is the most common slip.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing fractions and decimals laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for fractions and decimals in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
  4. Check the answer against an estimate before writing it down.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: x2+5x+6=0x^2 + 5x + 6 = 0.
Answer: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
3 rules

Key facts: Fractions and decimals

The specification wording is precise here, and the mark scheme follows that wording exactly.
Worth knowing: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.

  • Rule 1

    How fractions and decimals behaves in the 1st of the cases the specification names.
    34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

  • Rule 2

    How fractions and decimals behaves in the 2nd of the cases the specification names.
    49=7\sqrt{49} = 7
3 steps

How to work with fractions and decimals

Work through the method one line at a time and write down what changes at each step.
Worth knowing: ≈160\approx 160.
  1. Read the question and write down what is being asked for.
  2. Set out the working for fractions and decimals in the order the method gives.
  3. Substitute the values and simplify.
Start from the definition and substitute the numbers the question gives you.
Simplify one line at a time: a2+b2=c2a^2 + b^2 = c^2.
Answer: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

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Examples

2 boxes
3 marks · worked

Worked example: fractions and decimals

Sketch the shape even when the question does not ask for one — it makes the next step obvious.
Worth knowing: 49=7\sqrt{49} = 7.
3 marks · worked

Practice question 7: 34×25\frac{3}{4} \times \frac{2}{5}

This idea appears again in the higher-mark questions, so it is worth over-learning.
The layout below is the one the mark scheme expects.

Diagram showing fractions and decimals laid out step by step

The same idea drawn out, so the method is visible.

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Common questions

How many marks is fractions and decimals usually worth?
Between one and four, depending on how many steps the question asks for.
Is this on the GCSE French Edexcel paper?
Yes — it sits in the Geometry and measures strand.