What is a Fraction?

Fractions represent the parts of a whole or collection of objects. A fraction has two parts. The number on the top of the line is called the numerator. It tells how many equal parts of the whole or collection are taken.  The number below the line is called the denominator.  It shows the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into or the total number of the same objects in a collection.

Fraction of a Whole

When the whole is divided into equal parts, the number of parts we take makes up a fraction. If a cake is divided into eight equal pieces and one piece of the cake is placed on a plate, then each plate is said to have 1/8 of a cake. It is read as ‘one-eighth’ or ‘1 by 8’.

[Tutorial] Fractions Fractions-1

Fraction of a Collection of Objects

There are a total of 5 children.

3 out of 5 are girls. So, the fraction of girls is three-fifths
$$\frac{3}{5}$$
2 out of 5 are boys. So, the fraction of boys is two-fifths
$$\frac{2}{5}$$

Equal and Unequal Parts

To identify the fraction, the whole must be divided into equal parts.
[Tutorial] Fractions Fractions-2

Representing a Fraction

A fraction can be represented in 3 ways: as a fraction, as a percentage, or as a decimal. Let us see each of the three forms of representation.

Fractional Representation,
The first and most common form of representing a fraction is $$\frac{a}{b}$$ Here, a is the numerator, and b is the denominator. Both the numerator and denominator are separated by a horizontal bar.

Fractions on Number Line

Fractions can be represented on a number line, as shown below.
[Tutorial] Fractions Fractions-3

Types of Fractions

The primary parts of a fraction are the numerator and the denominator. Based on these, different types of fractions can be defined. Let us look at some common types of fractions.
[Tutorial] Fractions Screen58

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