A unit fraction has 1 on top. 1/4 means one of four equal parts. The bottom number, the denominator, says how many equal parts the whole is split into. The top number, the numerator, says how many parts we have.
The bigger the denominator, the smaller each part. 1/8 of a pizza is smaller than 1/4 of the same pizza, because it is cut into more pieces. Three of the 1/4 parts make 3/4.
Worked example
A bar is split into 5 equal parts. What fraction is one part?
- There are 5 equal parts, so the denominator is 5.
- One part means the numerator is 1.
Answer:1/5
Key words
- unit fraction
- a fraction with 1 on top
- denominator
- the number of equal parts in the whole
- numerator
- the number of parts we have
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: 3.NF.A.1