4.

Naming Fractions
• Fractions are representations of “even parts of a whole.”
• A key concept is that division and fractions are linked. Even the division symbol ( ÷ ) is a fraction.

1
𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 1 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 2 𝑤𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖ℎ 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 0.5.
2
3 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁
• A fraction is made up of two main parts: →
4 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷

The denominator represents how many parts of the whole there are, and the numerator indicates how many of
the parts are of interest.
5
For instance, of a pie means that we have cut a pie into 8 even pieces and we are interested in the five that are
8
left on the plate.

6 1
• Fractions should always be displayed in their simplest form. For example, is written as
12 2

Strategies for converting fractions into their simplest form will be covered over the next sections.
3
• A proper fraction has a numerator smaller than the denominator, for example,
4
This representation shows that we have four equal parts and have shaded three of them,
3
therefore
4

4
• An improper fraction has a numerator larger than the denominator, for example,
3
Here we have two ‘wholes’ divided into three equal parts.

Three parts of ‘3 equal parts’ makes a ‘whole’ plus one

more part makes ‘one whole and one third’ or ‘four thirds’

• Therefore, a mixed fraction has a whole number and a fraction,

1
for example, 1
3
4. Your Turn:

Name the fractions:

a) What fraction of the large square is black?
b) What fraction of the large square has vertical lines?
c) What fraction of the large square has diagonal lines?
d) What fraction of the large square has wavy lines?

Watch this short Khan Academy video for further explanation:

“Introduction to fractions”
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/fractions/understanding_fractions/v/introduction-to-fractions
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