What is a fraction?

A fraction represents part of a whole. When something is broken up into a number of parts, the
fraction shows how many of those parts you have.

Pictures of Fractions

Sometimes the best way to learn about fractions is through a picture. See the pictures below to
see how the whole of a circle can be broken up into different fractions. The first picture shows
the whole and then the other pictures show fractions of that whole.

Reciprocals

A reciprocal is a fraction where the numerator and denominator are reversed. It can also be
looked at as 1 over the number. When you take a number or fraction and multiply it by its
reciprocal, the answer is always 1.

Equivalent Fractions

Sometimes fractions may look different and have different numbers, but they are equivalent or
have the same value.

One of the simplest examples of equivalent fractions is the number 1. If the numerator and the
denominator are the same, then the fraction has the same equivalent value as 1.

Here are some equivalent fractions for 3/4. The equivalent fractions are all multiples of 3/4.
Take 15/20 for example. 3x5 = 15 and 4x5 = 20.

Go here for more on equivalent fractions.

Decimals
When decimal points are used in numbers, the number to the right of the decimal point is a type
of fraction. Depending on the place value it can be 1/10, 1/100, 1/1000 or some other factor of
10.

Examples:

0.3 = 3/10
0.42 = 42/100

Percents

Another type of fraction is the percent. The "percent" is a fraction with a denominator of 100.
When you say 50% it is the same as saying 50/100.

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