Introduction to fractions | Year 3 Mathematics PDF Download

What is a fraction?

• A fraction indicates how many parts of a whole are being considered. Let's explore various fractions:
• When you split something into two equal parts, each part is known as a half.
• Dividing a whole object into four equal parts results in each part being called a quarter.

How do you write a fraction?

Fractions are represented by placing one number above another, like this:

You would pronounce this fraction as either 'one quarter' or 'one over four' or 'one out of four.'

• The number at the top is known as the numerator. It indicates how many parts you possess (1 in this instance).
• The number at the bottom is called the denominator. It signifies how many equal parts the whole object has been divided into (4 in this example).

Fractions in daily life

Fractions play a crucial role in everyday life.

• They are essential for telling time, such as identifying 'quarter past', 'half past', and 'quarter to' the hour.
• In baking, fractions are commonly used, such as specifying 'half a kilogram of flour'.
• In retail, fractions are encountered during sales promotions, like 'Half price cakes!'

Solved Examples

Example 1: Fractions: Pizza Slices
Imagine a scenario where a pizza is divided into 6 equal slices:

• The denominator (bottom number) in a fraction represents the total parts the whole is divided into, in this case, it's 6 for the pizza slices.
• The numerator (top number) indicates the specific parts being considered. If you've eaten 2 slices out of 6, you've consumed 2/6 of the pizza.
• To find out how much of the pizza remains, you count the uneaten slices. With 2 slices eaten out of 6, there are 4 slices remaining, which can be represented as 4/6.

Example 2: Now, look at this rectangle that has been divided equally into 10 pieces.

If you count the number of red squares, you can determine the fraction of squares that are red. In this case, 4 out of 10 squares are red, so the fraction is ⁴⁄₁₀.
To find out what fraction of squares aren't red, count how many there are. There are 6 squares that aren't red, which represents ⁶⁄₁₀ of the total squares.
Alternatively, you can use subtraction to figure this out. With 10 squares in total and 4 being red, there must be 6 squares that aren't red.
So, 10 minus 4 equals 6. Therefore, as a fraction, this is ⁶⁄₁₀.