Understanding Fractions — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
In the fraction 34, the number 4 is the numerator.
Corrected: In the fraction 34, the number 4 is the denominator.
In a fraction, the bottom number is the denominator and the top number is the numerator. Since 4 sits below the bar in 34, it names the total equal parts the whole is divided into, making it the denominator.
2. Fix the sentence:
13 is greater than 12 because 3 is more than 2.
Corrected: 13 is less than 12 because thirds are smaller parts than halves.
When two fractions have the same numerator, the one with the smaller denominator is larger because the whole is split into fewer, bigger pieces. Halves are bigger than thirds, so 13 is actually less than 12.
3. Fix the sentence:
A fraction with 0 as the numerator equals 1.
Corrected: A fraction with 0 as the numerator equals 0.
The numerator counts how many parts you have. If you have 0 parts, you have nothing at all, so any fraction with 0 on top equals 0, not 1.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. In the fraction 58, the numerator is 5.
The numerator sits on top of the fraction bar and tells how many parts are being counted. In 58 the top number is 5, so 5 is the numerator.
2. A fraction shows equal parts of a whole.
Fractions describe a whole that has been split fairly, where every piece is the same size. That is why a fraction shows equal parts of a whole.
3. The bottom number of a fraction is the denominator.
Every fraction has two numbers: the top one counts the parts you have, and the bottom one names the size of each part. Because the denominator lives below the bar, it is the bottom number.
4. If a pizza is cut into 4 equal slices and you eat 1, you ate 14 of the pizza.
Cutting the pizza into 4 equal slices means the whole is divided into 4 parts, so each slice is one fourth. Eating one of those slices means you ate 14 of the pizza.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The fraction 25 means 2 equal parts out of 5.
True False
True. The top number 2 counts the shaded pieces and the bottom number 5 tells how many equal pieces the whole has, so 25 means 2 out of 5 equal parts.
2. The denominator tells how many parts are shaded.
True False
False. The denominator only tells the total number of equal parts in the whole; it is the numerator that counts how many of those parts are shaded.
3. 12 of a shape means the shape is split into 2 equal parts.
True False
True. The denominator 2 in 12 shows the shape is cut into 2 equal pieces, and the numerator points to one of those halves.