Fractions

What is a fraction?

A fraction is a number that is not a whole number where the top number is called the numerator and the bottom is called the denominator.

Examples of fractions
The shaded part of the rectangle are shown as a fraction underneath the rectangles.

Mixed numbers and and improper fractions

You can also have fractions which are bigger than 1.

Examples
11/2 or 3/2, 10/4 or 22/4
These are all examples of mixed numbers and and improper fractions. There are 2 halves in a whole so the improper fraction for one and a half is 3/2. The mixed number fraction is obviously 11/2.

Equivalent Fractions

Equivalent fractions are found by cancelling or multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same number.

Examples

2/3 9/15
8/12 3/5
Multiplying top and bottom by 4 Dividing top and bottom by 3

Unit fractions
A unit fraction is one part of a whole.

Examples: 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/100 etc are all called unit fractions.

Adding fractions

First of all, use equivalent fractions for converting the fractions so that they have the same denominator.
When adding in fractions, you only need to add the numerators together.
Follow these examples:

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Now try this exercise More Fractions
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