Lesson 1 - What is a Fraction?

  


pencilbg.gif (3028 bytes)

DEFINITIONS
A fraction is a number that represents part of a whole or part of a complete set.   Fractions are written with one number over another:  eighth.gif (870 bytes) 
The top number is called the numerator and the bottom number is called the denominator.  Sometimes you will see it typed out on the computer with a slash between the numbers like this: 1/8

EXAMPLES
pizza clipart A good example can be shown with pizza.  If a pizza was made up of 8 slices and you only had 1 of the 8, you would say that you had one-eighth of the pizza (complete set of slices.)  OK; I know you wouldn't have just one slice of a pizza . . . more like you'd leave one-eighth of the pizza!
It will state in textbooks that fractions are written in the form a_over_b.gif (873 bytes) or a/b, where a and b are whole numbers, and the number b is not zero.  That means that the number on top can be 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on, while the number on bottom can be 1, 2, 3, and so on.
    
Another example:
5_8sqr.gif (2270 bytes)                   5_8.gif (904 bytes) could look like this
or     5_8pie.gif (1309 bytes)

Remember, it really means, 5 shaded parts out of 8 total parts.

PRACTICE
Need some practice?  

  

Extension Activities - What is a Fraction?

  

© 2002 Clovis Unified School District - CAL Online, All rights reserved.