Fractions: Halves, Thirds, and Fourths — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each fraction into the correct category.
Less Than One-Half
1/31/4 One-Half or More
1/22/42/33/4 13 and 14 each take only one piece from a whole split into 3 or 4 parts, which is less than half. 12 is exactly half, 24 is the same as one-half, and 23 and 34 each cover more than half of the whole.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. If 2 friends share a muffin equally, each gets one half.
Splitting one muffin fairly between 2 people creates 2 equal pieces, and each piece of a whole split in 2 is called one half. Halves are always the same size.
2. A granola bar split into 3 equal pieces gives 3 thirds.
When something is cut into 3 equal pieces, each piece is called one third, so 3 pieces total means 3 thirds. Those 3 thirds together make one whole bar again.
3. One-fourth of 8 grapes is 2 grapes.
One-fourth means splitting 8 grapes into 4 equal groups. Since 8 divided by 4 equals 2, each group has 2 grapes.
4. When you cut a square into 2 equal parts, each part is one half.
Splitting a shape into 2 pieces of the same size gives you halves, so each piece is one-half. The two halves together still make the whole square.
5. Four fourths make one whole shape.
When a shape is divided into 4 equal parts, each part is called a fourth. Putting all 4 fourths back together rebuilds the whole shape.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. One-third of 12 is 4.
True False
One-third means splitting 12 into 3 equal groups, and 12 divided by 3 equals 4. Each group has exactly 4 items, so one-third of 12 is really 4.
2. A shape cut into 2 unequal pieces shows halves.
True False
Halves have to be the same size, so 2 unequal pieces are not halves. A shape only shows halves when both pieces match exactly.
3. One-half is smaller than one-third.
True False
One-half means cutting a whole into only 2 pieces, while one-third splits it into 3 smaller pieces. Fewer pieces means each piece is bigger, so one-half is actually larger than one-third.
4. One-fourth of 4 is 1.
True False
One-fourth means splitting 4 into 4 equal groups. Since 4 divided by 4 equals 1, each group has just 1 item.