Fractions: 101

​Representations of a Whole

Fractions are representations of a whole. That means that you may divide them into as many parts as you need!

Think of them like slices of pizza, how many slices are there to share and how many can you eat?

​Circles, and rectangles, are convenient shapes to divide into as many smaller parts as you need. The number of subdivisions are determined by the Denominator. The number of parts shaded in are determined by the Numerator.

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All you have to do is multiply, or divide, the Numerator and Denominator by the same number.
6/8 ÷ 2/2 = 3/4

​Different Numbers

Fractions can be changed, if you need to you may combine or divide the pieces you have.

1/2 x 2/2 = 2/4

Same Value,

Equivalent Fractions

The Value of 1

Any time the Numerator = the Denominator the value of that Fraction is just simply 1.

That means that to find an Equivalent Fraction your are multiplying, or dividing, the Fraction by 1! This protects the value of the fraction even as you change the numbers that represent it!

​To Add or Subtract the Denominators must Match!

The Denominator tells us how many equal parts the whole has been divided into. But what if you need to combine two fractions with different denominators, can you do that?

No! To combine two fractions you must have a Common Denominator.

You have matches at 12 & 24! Both are Common Denominators, but only 12 is the Least Common Denominator.

​Then Find the Matches

​First find the Multiples

Take the Fractions 2/3 and 3/4. You need to find the multiples of 3 & 4!
3: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24
4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24