FRACTIONS

A fraction represents a part of a whole or, more generally, any number of equal parts. When spoken in everyday English, we specify how many parts of a certain size there are, for example, one-half, five-eighths and three-quarters.

A common or vulgar fraction, such as 1/2, 8/5, 3/4, etc., consists of an integer numerator and a non-zero integer denominatorthe numerator representing a number of equal parts and the denominator indicating how many of those parts make up a whole. An example is 3/4, in which the numerator, 3, tells us that the fraction represents 3 equal parts, and the denominator, 4, tells us that 4 parts equal a whole.

Fractional numbers can also be written without using explicit numerators or denominators, by using decimals, percent signs, or negative exponents (as in 0.01, 1%, and 102 respectively, all of which are equivalent to 1/100). An integer (e.g. the number 7) has an implied denominator of one, meaning that the number can be expressed as a fraction like 7/1. Other uses for fractions are to represent ratios and to represent division. Thus the fraction 3/4 is also used to represent the ratio 3:4 (the ratio of the part to the whole) and the division 3 4 (three divided by four).

Kinds of Fractions

Proper fraction A numerical fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator. A polynomial fraction in which the numerator is of a lower degree than the denominator. An example of a proper fraction is 3/4 Improper fraction A fraction in which the numerator is larger than or equal to the denominator. An example of an improper fraction is Mixed number A mixed fraction is a whole number and a proper fraction combined. An example of a mixed number is 1 Unit fraction A unit fraction is a rational number written as a fraction where the numerator is one and the denominator is a positive integer. A unit fraction is therefore the reciprocal of a positive integer, 1/n. Examples are 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 etc. An example of a unit fraction is 1/3 Equivalent fractions. Equivalent fractions are fractions that have the same value or represent the same part of an object. An example of equivalent fractions is 2/8 = 1/4
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Mabels Problem Solving Questions Involving Fractions

1. Order the following fractions from the smallest to the largest:

, , , ,
2. Sarah has 348 gel pens. She gives of them away. How many does she give away?
3. Rachael has 5 packets of 20 biscuits. She puts three tenths of them on a plate. How many biscuits are on the plate? 4. James buys 65 sweets. He eats 4/5 of them. How many does he have left?

5. Robert has 816 marbles. He puts he put in his pocket?

of them in his pocket for a game.

How many does

6. A small bag of flour is 3kg and a large bag is 9kg. What fraction of the large bag is the small bag? 7. I have P10. I give P6 to my friend Lucy. What fraction of P10 have I given her? 8. What fraction of 1 meter is 25cm? 9. What fraction of 100 pesos is 20 centavos? 10. I have 608 sweets I eat three quarters of them. How many have I eaten?