Number

YOU ARE LEARNING:

What Are Fractions?

Fractions contain a numerator and a denominator, and are used to express numbers that aren't whole.

Fractions show parts of whole numbers. How many slices is this pizza divided into?

On taking a slice away, how many slices of this pizza are left?

What we have left are 2 out of 3 slices of pizza. You can write that as a fraction. Which of these do you think is a fraction?

So there is $\dfrac{2}{3}$ left of this pizza

You can read the fraction as "two thirds".

This cake was sliced into five. How many slices are left?

Looking at the number of slices left and how many slices the cake was divided into, how do you write this as a fraction?

There is $\dfrac{3}{5}$ of the cake left

So there are "3 out of 5" slices or "three fifths" of the cake left.

What does the fraction look like for "5 out of 7"?

What does the fraction look like for "2 sixths"?

This pizza has been divided into six slices and all slices remain on the plate. How can we show this as a fraction?

So there are $\dfrac{6}{6}$ slices left of this pizza

"6 out of 6" or "six sixths".

Similarly, this cake has been divided into three slices and all three remain on the plate. What is the fraction that shows all three slices?

So there are $\dfrac{3}{3}$ slices left of the cake

"3 out of 3" or "three thirds".

$\dfrac{6}{6}$ showed the whole pizza and $\dfrac{3}{3}$ showed the whole cake. What are both $\dfrac{6}{6}$ and $\dfrac{3}{3}$ the same as?

We have shown that $\dfrac{6}{6}=\dfrac{3}{3}=1$

This is true for any fraction where the top number is the same as the bottom number.

The top and bottom numbers of a fraction are called the numerator and the denominator. What is the numerator in the fraction $\dfrac{2}{3}$ ?

What is the denominator in the fraction $\dfrac{4}{5}$ ?

What happens when the numerator is the same as the denominator in a fraction?

Summary!

$\dfrac{2}{3}$ is an example of a fraction

There is "2 out of 3" slices or "2 thirds" of this pizza left.

$\dfrac{6}{6}$ for example is the same as $1$ whole

There is $1$ whole pizza here.

The top number of a fraction is called the numerator.

The bottom number of a fraction is called the denominator.