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 25, the number 2 is the denominator.
Corrected: In the fraction 25, the number 2 is the numerator.
The corrected sentence is: "In the fraction 25, the number 2 is the numerator." The error was wrong term: the original sentence "In the fraction 25, the number 2 is the denominator." needed to be fixed.
2. Fix the sentence:
14 is greater than 13 because 4 is bigger than 3.
Corrected: 14 is less than 13 because fourths are smaller parts than thirds.
The corrected sentence is: "14 is less than 13 because fourths are smaller parts than thirds." The error was comparison error: the original sentence "14 is greater than 13 because 4 is bigger than 3." needed to be fixed.
3. Fix the sentence:
When a shape is split into 5 equal parts with 5 shaded, half is shaded.
Corrected: When a shape is split into 5 equal parts with 5 shaded, the whole shape is shaded.
The corrected sentence is: "When a shape is split into 5 equal parts with 5 shaded, the whole shape is shaded." The error was wrong meaning: the original sentence "When a shape is split into 5 equal parts with 5 shaded, half is shaded." needed to be fixed.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. In the fraction 610, the denominator is 10.
The denominator is 10 because it is the bottom number in the fraction 610, showing the whole is split into 10 equal parts.
2. A rectangle divided into 3 equal parts with 2 shaded shows the fraction 23.
The fraction is 23 because 2 parts are shaded out of 3 equal parts total, so the numerator is 2 and the denominator is 3.
3. The top number of a fraction is called the numerator.
The top number is called the numerator because it counts how many parts you have, while the bottom number (denominator) tells how many equal parts make up the whole.
4. If a cake has 8 equal slices and you eat 3, you ate 38 of the cake.
You ate 38 of the cake because you ate 3 slices out of 8 equal slices, so the numerator is 3 and the denominator is 8.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. 34 means 3 equal parts out of 4 total parts.
True False
True. The fraction 34 means you have 3 parts out of 4 equal parts, which is exactly what a fraction represents.
2. The numerator tells how many total parts there are.
True False
False. The numerator tells how many parts you have, not the total. The denominator is the number that tells how many total equal parts make up the whole.
3. 08 equals zero because no parts are chosen.
True False
True. When the numerator is 0, the fraction equals zero because no parts out of the 8 equal parts are selected.