Fractions - why are they important?!

Whenever the unit of fractions comes up, I always go into a little panic. I understand the concept of fractions but I always get confused when it comes to adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions. There are so many different steps to each problem that it confuses me. Multiplying and dividing fractions is always the most confusing to me, but once I learned the different properties it all became a lot easier to me.

Here is a great example of some of the basic properties for multiplication of rational numbers:

Here is a website about why equivalent fractions are important and the steps to working them out. It goes over the theorem, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and formulas.

http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/edsvcs/commoncore/summit/HWu/importance_of_equivalent_fractions.pdf

Now, we think...why is it important to learn about multiplying and dividing fractions? I'll give you a great example.

My husband and I have this great rhubarb plant in our back yard and it keeps growing and growing. I found a great recipe for a rhubarb cake that I wanted to make for my husband but I only needed to make half a recipe considering it was just my husband and I eating it. I had to cut the whole recipe in HALF! Now, before this chapter...I would not have known how to do this. Here is the recipe: (the part in parentheses is the 1/2 version)

1/4 cup butter, softened (1/8 cup)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed (3/4 cup)
1 egg (1/2 egg)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups flour (3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder (1/2 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon salt (1/4 teaspoon)
1 cup dairy sour cream (1/2 cup)
4 cups fresh rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces (2 cups)

1/3 cup granulated sugar (1/6 cup)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Line a greased 8 x 5 (I used 4 x 4) pan with parchment paper.
Beat butter and brown sugar in a bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in rhubarb. Pour mix into pan.

Mix sugar with nutmeg. Sprinkle over batter. Bake 40 minutes (took about 30). Cool in pan for 30 minutes, remove from pan to a cooling rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Now, you see if I didn't know how to divide fractions I would have had to eat this whole cake! (not that it would be a bad thing) But, this made it a lot more reasonable for a household of 2. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know what you think!