Fractions on a number line | Year 3 Mathematics PDF Download

Fractions on a Number Line

• Utilizing a number line to illustrate fractions is a valuable method to showcase how a whole is divided equally into parts.
• Denominator represents the total number of parts, while the numerator indicates the specific parts being considered.
  
• A number line aids in understanding the sequence and comparison of fractions.
• Similar to a regular number line, the numerators indicate the increasing or decreasing values, while the denominators remain constant.

Solved Examples

Example 1: Take a look at this number line. The denominators are missing as well as some of the fractions.

To work out the denominators, we have to count how many parts the number line has been separated into.
There are 10 parts so the denominator must be 10.
Now let’s look at which consecutive numbers are missing and fill in the gaps.
 are the missing fractions.

Example 2: Look at this number line. It starts at 0 and ends at 1, which represents the whole.

Do you notice how it is split into 5 parts?
That means our denominator must be 5. The numerators should go up in a consecutive order (one after each other).
This is what the fractions would look like when marked on the number line.
Now we can easily compare the fractions.
Which fraction is bigger ?
If we look at the number line, we can clearly see that 4/5 is the larger fraction since it is closer to 1.