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Grade 5 · Maths · Lessons
Bigger or smaller than you started
🔍zoom in🔎zoom out✖️times1️⃣one
Bigger or smaller?
The big ideaMultiply by less than one and it gets smaller; by more than one and it gets bigger; by one it stays.

How it works

Multiply by less than one and it gets smaller. By more than one and it gets bigger. By one it stays.

4 × 1/4 is less than 4. 12 × 4/4 is the same as 12. 6 × 6/5 is more than 6.

Check the size before you calculate.

Smaller or same• × less than 1: smaller• × 1: the sameBigger• × more than 1: bigger
Compare to the start.

Example 1: Less than one

  1. 4 × 1/4 compared with 4?
  2. 1/4 is less than 1.
  3. So 4 × 1/4 is less than 4.
  4. So the answer is Less.

Example 2: Exactly one

  1. 12 × 4/4 compared with 12?
  2. 4/4 is the same as 1.
  3. So 12 × 4/4 is the same as 12.
  4. So the answer is The same.

Example 3: More than one

  1. 6 × 6/5 compared with 6?
  2. 6/5 is more than 1.
  3. So 6 × 6/5 is more than 6.
  4. So the answer is More.

Words to know

scaling
Making something bigger or smaller by multiplying.
multiplier
The number you multiply by.

Watch out

Try it

  1. 3/3 × 7 compared with 7?
  2. 3 × 11 compared with 11?
  3. 5/8 × 5 compared with 5?
Answers: 1. The same · 2. More · 3. Less
For grown-upsAsk 'will it be bigger or smaller?' before working out any multiplication.
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