What is a fraction?
A fraction is part of a whole.
The whole can be a shape, a length, a number or a set of objects.
Fractions are always divided into equal parts.
A half is one of two equal parts that together make a whole.
A quarter is one of four equal parts that together make a whole.
Activity: What are fractions?
Complete this interactive activity to understand what fractions are. Then put your knowledge to the test.
How to write fractions
Look at this pizza. It has been cut into two equal slices.
Each of the equal slices is a fraction.
This pizza has been cut into halves. This means there are 2 equal parts.
The two parts must be the same size and shape.
If you put the two halves back together you will get one whole.
To write a fraction, follow these steps:
1. Write the division bar.
2. Write the denominator. This is how many parts the whole has been divided into.
3. Write the numerator. This is how many parts you have.
Example 1
A shop has 9 bars of chocolate. It sells \(\frac {1} {3}\) of the bars.
How many bars of chocolate were sold?
✓ 3 bars of chocolate were sold.
To solve this problem, divide the bars of chocolate into 3 groups.
Then work out how many bars are in each group, which is 3.
The bars have been split into three one thirds.
\(\frac {1} {3}\) of 9 = 3
Example 2
This pizza has been divided into 3 equal parts.
If you ate 2 parts, what fraction of the whole pizza would be left?
✓ \(\frac {1} {3}\) of the pizza would be left.
To solve this problem, work out how to write this as a fraction.
First write the divider bar. Then write the denominator, which is the number of parts the pizza has been divided into (3).
Finally, write the numerator, which is how many parts you have (1).
The answer is \(\frac {1} {3}\) of the pizza is left.
Example 3
What is \(\frac {1} {4}\) of these 16 marbles?
You can use the bar model to help you.
✓ One quarter of the marbles is 4 marbles.
To find \(\frac {1} {4}\) of 16, divide 16 into 4 equal parts.
Each part contains 4 marbles.
\(\frac {1} {4}\) of 16 = 4
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More on Number
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