Fractions (Intro)
Half, Third, Fourth & the Parts of a Fraction
A fraction shows equal parts of a whole. If a chapati is cut into 2 equal parts, each part is one-half (½). Into 3 equal parts gives one-third (⅓), and into 4 equal parts gives one-fourth (¼).
In a fraction the top number is the numerator (how many parts we take) and the bottom number is the denominator (how many equal parts in all). In ¾ the numerator is 3 and the denominator is 4.
- A fraction shows equal parts of a whole.
- Numerator = parts taken (top); denominator = total equal parts (bottom).
Like Fractions & Comparing Unit Fractions
Like fractions have the same denominator, such as ⅖ and ⅗. A unit fraction has 1 as the numerator, such as ½, ⅓ and ¼.
For unit fractions, the smaller the denominator, the larger the fraction — because the whole is split into fewer, bigger pieces. So ½ > ⅓ > ¼ > ⅕.
- Like fractions have the same denominator.
- For unit fractions, a smaller denominator means a bigger fraction.
Adding & Subtracting Like Fractions
To add or subtract like fractions, keep the denominator the same and only add or subtract the numerators. For example, ⅖ + ⅕ = ⅗, and ¾ − ¼ = 2/4, which is the same as ½.
This works because the pieces are all the same size, so we simply count how many pieces we have.
- Add/subtract only the numerators; keep the denominator.
- 2/4 is the same as ½.