Cut cakes, pizzas, and chocolate bars into equal pieces to discover what fractions really mean.
A fraction shows a part of a whole. The bottom number (denominator) tells how many equal parts the whole is split into, and the top number (numerator) tells how many of those parts we have.
If a cake is cut into 4 equal pieces and you eat 1 piece, what fraction did you eat?
1/4
A chocolate bar has 8 equal pieces. If you eat 3 pieces, what fraction is that?
3/8
When two fractions have the same denominator, the one with the bigger numerator is bigger. When they have the same numerator, the fraction with the smaller denominator is actually bigger — because the whole is split into fewer, larger parts.
Which is bigger: 3/8 or 5/8?
5/8, because 5 > 3 and both have the same denominator
Which is bigger: 1/2 or 1/3?
1/2, because splitting into 2 parts gives a bigger piece than splitting into 3
1. A pizza is cut into 6 equal slices. If you eat 2 slices, what fraction did you eat?
2. Which is bigger: 2/5 or 4/5?
3. Which is bigger: 1/4 or 1/6?
4. A rope is cut into 10 equal pieces. What fraction is 7 pieces?
5. Which is smaller: 3/4 or 3/10?