What Are Fractions

Show your work for each problem.

1.
In the fraction , what is the numerator?
1. a)5
2. b)3
3. c)8
4. d)13
Answer: 5
The numerator is the top number in a fraction. In , the numerator is because it tells us how many parts we have.
2.
In the fraction , what is the denominator?
1. a)10
2. b)4
3. c)7
4. d)3
Answer: 7
The denominator is the bottom number in a fraction. In , the denominator is because it tells us the total number of equal parts.
3.
A pizza is cut into 4 equal slices. You eat 1 slice. What fraction of the pizza did you eat?
1. a)
2. b)
3. c)
4. d)
Answer:
You ate 1 slice out of 4 total slices. The fraction is (1 is the numerator, 4 is the denominator).
4.
A cake is divided into 8 equal pieces. What fraction represents 3 pieces of the cake? Write your answer as a fraction (e.g., 1/2).
Answer: 3/8
You have 3 pieces out of 8 total pieces, so the fraction is . The numerator (3) shows how many pieces you have, and the denominator (8) shows the total equal parts.
5.
What is the denominator in the fraction ?
Answer: 9
In , the denominator is 9. It's the bottom number that tells us the whole is divided into 9 equal parts.
6.
Which picture shows of the shape shaded?
1. a)A rectangle with 3 out of 4 equal parts shaded
2. b)A rectangle with 2 out of 4 equal parts shaded
3. c)A rectangle with 4 out of 4 equal parts shaded
4. d)A rectangle with 1 out of 4 equal parts shaded
Answer: A rectangle with 2 out of 4 equal parts shaded
means 2 parts out of 4 equal parts. So the correct picture shows a shape divided into 4 equal parts with exactly 2 of them shaded.
7.
Which fraction is larger: or ?
1. a)
2. b)Cannot be determined
3. c)
4. d)They are equal
Answer:
is larger than . When you divide something into 3 parts, each part is bigger than when you divide it into 6 parts. Think of cutting a pizza: 1 slice from a pizza cut into 3 is bigger than 1 slice from a pizza cut into 6.
8.
A chocolate bar has 12 equal squares. Emma eats 5 squares. What fraction of the chocolate bar did Emma eat? Write as a fraction (e.g., 1/2).
Answer: 5/12
Emma ate 5 squares out of 12 total squares. The fraction is .
9.
If you have of a pie, how many whole pies do you have? Enter just the number.
Answer: 1
means you have 6 parts out of 6 total parts - that's all the parts, which equals 1 whole pie.
10.
A garden is divided into 10 equal sections. 4 sections have tomatoes and 6 sections have carrots. What fraction of the garden has carrots?
1. a)
2. b)
3. c)
4. d)
Answer:
6 sections have carrots out of 10 total sections. The fraction of the garden with carrots is .
11.
A bookshelf has 5 shelves. 2 shelves have math books and 3 shelves have story books. What fraction of the bookshelf has math books?
Answer: 2/5
1. How many shelves have math books? 2
2. How many total shelves are there? 5
3. Write the fraction: math shelves over total shelves 2/5
12.
A bag has 8 marbles: 3 are red, 2 are blue, and 3 are green. What fraction of the marbles are blue?
Answer: 2/8
1. How many blue marbles are there? 2
2. How many marbles are there in total? 8
3. Write the fraction of blue marbles 2/8
13.
A classroom has 20 students. 8 students are wearing glasses. What fraction of the students are NOT wearing glasses?
Answer: 12/20
1. How many students are wearing glasses? 8
2. How many students are NOT wearing glasses? (Total minus glasses) 12
3. How many total students are there? 20
4. Write the fraction: students without glasses over total students 12/20
14.
A ribbon is 1 meter long. You cut it into 5 equal pieces. What fraction of the ribbon is each piece, and how many centimeters is that?
Answer: 1/5, 20
1. If the ribbon is cut into 5 equal pieces, what fraction is each piece? 1/5
2. How many centimeters are in 1 meter? 100
3. How many centimeters is of 100 cm? 20
15.
Maria has a bag of 15 apples. She gives to her friend. How many apples did she give away?
Answer: 5
To find of 15, divide 15 by 3: apples.
16.
A pizza is cut into 12 equal slices. Tom eats of the pizza. How many slices did Tom eat?
Answer: 3
1. How many slices is the pizza divided into? 12
2. What fraction did Tom eat? 1/4
3. To find of 12, divide 12 by 4. What do you get? 3
17.
A farmer has 24 chickens. of them are white. How many white chickens does the farmer have?
Answer: 9
1. What is the denominator of the fraction ? 8
2. Divide 24 by 8 to find the size of one part: 3
3. The numerator is 3, so multiply: 9
18.
What is the numerator in ?
Answer: 7
In , the numerator is 7. It's the top number that tells us how many parts we have.