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Fractions

What is a fraction?

A fraction is a part of a whole. If you break something up into equal parts, then a fraction can represent one or more of these parts. We deal with fractions all the time. If you ask a friend to give you half of his cookie, then he must break the cookie into two equal pieces and give you one. One half is a fraction. It is written like this:

This fraction represents one out of two equal parts. The numeral 2 at the bottom means the cookie was divided into two equal parts. The numeral 1 at the top means you were given one of them. Learn more about halves below.

Imagine your friend also had a chocolate bar that he wanted to share with you and and his brother. He broke it into three equal pieces. Each piece is called a third. He gave one to you. You got one out of three equal parts or one third. One third is also a fraction. It is written like this:

This fraction represents one out of three equal parts. The numeral 3 at the bottom means the chocolate bar was divided into three equal parts. The numeral 1 at the top means you were given one of them. Learn more about thirds below.

Note: In a fraction, the number at the top is called the numerator and the number at the bottom is called the denominator. An easy way to tell the difference is to remember that the word denominator starts with a “d” because it is down below. The line in the middle separates the numerator from the denominator.

Now imagine you had a pizza and you cut it into four equal parts. Each part is called a quarter. You were so hungry that you ate three of them. You ate three quarters of the pizza. Three quarters is a fraction as well. It is written like this:

This fraction represents three out of four equal parts. The denominator (4) tells us that the pizza was cut into four equal parts. The numerator (3) shows the number of parts that you ate. Learn more about quarters below.

More Fractions

Here are some other fractions that are often used:

Fifths: When something is divided into five equal parts, each part is called a fifth. Take a look at the diagram below.

Sixths: When something is divided into six equal parts, each part is called a sixth. Take a look at the diagram below bildquelle.

Sevenths: When something is divided into seven equal parts, each part is called a seventh. Take a look at the diagram below.

Eighths: When something is divided into eight equal parts, each part is called a eighth. Take a look at the diagram below.

Ninths: When something is divided into nine equal parts, each part is called a ninth. Take a look at the diagram below.

Tenths: When something is divided into ten equal parts, each part is called a tenth. Take a look at the diagram below.

Watch this video which teaches us about fractions.

Take the fractions quiz!