Fractions
By Lisa
Williams
October
27, 2000
Rule #1 of fractions is: ANYTHING over itself = 1.
Examples:
2
-- = 1
2 |
1046
----- = 1
1046 |
a
-- = 1
a |
xy7z
------- = 1
xy7z |
numerator
-----------------
denominator
The numerator is the top
number in the fraction. This number tells how many parts you have.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The denominator is the
bottom number of the fraction this number tells how many parts it takes
to = 1
SO... if you had the fraction 3/4...
the numerator is 3 which tells you how many parts you have.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the denominator is 4 which tells you that it is broken into 4 parts
Another example
if you had 5/4
5 tells how many parts you have
-----------------------------------------------------
4 tells you it only takes 4 to make a whole
So 5/4 can be written as
4 1
5
--- + --- = --- or 1¼
4 4
4
Rule # 2 of Fractions is: Always reduce your answers if possible.
Make sure the fraction is in the lowest possible terms.
Never leave 2/4 . Reduce it to 1/2.
To reduce fractions break big numbers down by breaking them up into
their
factors. ( factor are numbers multiplied together to get a bigger
number:
2 x 3 = 6 ; 2 & 3 are the factors)
You can break big numbers down by factoring them, and then go back
to rule # one of anything over itself = 1.
Example:
56
----
104
These numbers break into their factors like this:
56 = 7 x 8
------------
104 = 13 x 8
the 8's cancel out because anything over itself = 1
leaving you:
7
---
13
Assignment
Reduce the following by breaking the larger numbers into their factors.
(1.) 24 / 50
(2.) 100/110
(3.) 56/72
(4.) 65/90
(5.) 28/35
(6.) 16/56
(7.) 33/121
(8.) 18/24
(9.) 36/42
(10.) 6/8
Answers
| (1.) |
24 2 x 12
--- = -------
50 2 x 25 |
12
= ---
25 |
| (2.) |
100 10 x 10
---- = --------
110 10 x 11 |
10
= ---
11 |
| (3.) |
56 8 x 7
--- = -------
72 8 x 9 |
7
= --
9 |
| (4.) |
65 5 x 13
--- = -------
90 5 x 18 |
13
= ---
18 |
| (5.) |
28 4 x 7
--- = -----
35 5 x 7 |
4
= ---
5 |
| (6.) |
16 8 x 2
--- = -------
56 8 x 7 |
2
= ---
7 |
| (7.) |
33 11 x 3
---- = -------
121 11 x 11 |
3
= ---
11 |
| (8.) |
18 6 x 3
--- = -------
24 6 x 4 |
3
= ---
4 |
| (9.) |
36 6 x 6
--- = ------
42 6 x 7 |
6
= ---
6 |
| (10.) |
6 3 x 2
--- = -------
8 4 x 2 |
3
= ---
4 |
|
