Partitioning Shapes into Halves & Fourths — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A pizza is cut into 4 equal slices. What is each slice?
A) One half
B) One third
C) One fourth
D) One whole
Each slice is one fourth because the pizza is divided into 4 equal pieces, and 1 out of 4 equal parts is called a fourth.
2. Which shape shows halves?
A) Circle with 3 parts
B) Square with 2 equal parts
C) Rectangle with 4 parts
D) Triangle with no parts
A square with 2 equal parts shows halves because halves are always 2 equal pieces of the same whole shape.
3. How many fourths make one whole?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
It takes 4 fourths to make one whole because each fourth is 1 of 4 equal parts, and 4 out of 4 parts rebuild the whole.
4. A rectangle cut into 2 pieces is always halves. True?
A) Yes always
B) No, pieces must be equal
C) Only if square
D) Only if circle
Two pieces only count as halves when they are the same size — if one piece is bigger than the other, they are just 2 parts, not halves.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A half is bigger than a fourth of the same shape.
A half is bigger than a fourth because dividing into 2 pieces leaves larger pieces than dividing into 4.
2. 4 equal parts, shade one = one fourth.
Shading 1 out of 4 equal parts shows one fourth, since a fourth means 1 piece of 4 equal pieces.
3. Two fourths of a shape equal one half.
Two fourths is 2 out of 4 parts, which is the same amount as 1 out of 2 parts, so it equals one half.
4. Equal parts are all the same size.
The word "equal" in math means the pieces are the same size, so every equal part must match all the others.
5. Unequal pieces do not show true halves.
True halves must be 2 equal pieces, so pieces that are different sizes do not show halves.