Fractions Explained Simply
A fraction describes a part of a whole. Imagine a pizza cut into equally sized pieces.
Numerator / Denominator
the denominator says into how many parts the whole is divided, the numerator says how many of them you mean
With 3/4 (three quarters), the pizza is cut into 4 equal pieces, and you take 3 of them.
đź’¬ Mia asks Grandpa Theo
Mia
And how do I add 1/2 + 1/4 together? The denominators are different!
Grandpa Theo
Exactly why you first need to bring them to the same denominator! 1/2 is the same as 2/4 - you just multiply by 2.
Mia
Ah! So 2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4?
Grandpa Theo
Exactly right! When the denominators are the same, you just add the numerators and keep the denominator.
1/2 + 1/4 = 2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4
Simplifying, by the way, works the other way around: if the numerator and denominator are divisible by the same number, you can divide both at once, e.g. 4/8 = 2/4 = 1/2.
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