Lesson 7 of 12
🍕 Fractions
What You'll Learn
- What a fraction means (equal parts of a whole)
- How to read and write fractions (numerator / denominator)
- How to compare fractions with the same denominator
What Is a Fraction?
A fraction represents part of a whole. The whole must be divided into equal parts.
Reading a Fraction
A fraction has two numbers separated by a line:
- Numerator (top) — how many parts you have
- Denominator (bottom) — how many equal parts the whole is divided into
⅔ means 3 out of 4 equal parts are shaded.
Common Fractions
- ½ — one half. The whole is cut into 2 equal pieces, you have 1.
- ⅓ — one third. 3 equal pieces, you have 1.
- ¼ — one quarter. 4 equal pieces, you have 1.
- ¾ — three quarters. 4 equal pieces, you have 3.
Bigger Denominator = Smaller Pieces
¼ is smaller than ⅓ even though 4 > 3. Why? Because cutting something into 4 pieces gives you smaller slices than cutting into 3 pieces. Always think about the size of each piece!
Use the interactive tool below. Change the numerator and denominator and watch both the bar and the circle update!
Quick Check
1. In the fraction ⅔, what does the 3 (denominator) tell you?
2. Which fraction is the biggest?
3. A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices. You eat 3. What fraction did you eat?