Does a fraction have to be an equal? Why can it not be improper or not equal?

By definition, the denominator (the bottom number) in a fraction tells you how many equal sized part will create 1 whole unit. For example: 3/4, the 4 tells you that it take 4 equally sized parts to make a whole unit. The 3 in the numerator tells you that you have 3 parts. If a shape is cut into unequal portions, then you need to know the size of each portion to determine their fraction of the whole. Then, to find one fraction, you would have to add the fractions together to find the total fraction. You can only add fractions of equal size (denominators match), so there is a process you have to go thru to convert the fractions to a common denominator. Hope this helps.

1/8 is actually half of 1/4. Interesting! That might sound strange because 8 is 2 times 4. But remember we are talking about fractions. If you imagine a pie that has been divided into 4 equal pieces and a pie of the same size that is divided into 8 equal pieces, each piece of the second pie is going to be half the size of the pieces in the first pie. Think of it another way with only one pie. If you cut the pie into quarters (1/4) so you have 4 equal pieces of pie, and then cut each of those quarter pieces in half, you would have 8 pieces of the pie - each slice is now one eighth (1/8) of the pie. As you cut the quarter (1/4) in half, the eighth (1/8) is half the size of the quarter. Did that help?

From 0:01 to 1:35 why didn't she use a pizza as the representation.

Pizza or pie, they're both *circles*. So it doesn't matter which of those we use as a circle representation.

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Course: Grade 3 (FL B.E.S.T.) > Unit 6

Lesson 1: Fractions intro

Cutting shapes into equal parts

Name: Cutting shapes into equal parts
Uploaded: 2016-06-13T15:55:42Z
Description: Lindsay figures out if 4 pieces of pie are each equal to 1/4 of the pie.

Google Classroom

Lindsay figures out if 4 pieces of pie are each equal to 1/4 of the pie. Created by Lindsay Spears.

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Divyamaukthika Challa
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Divyamaukthika Challa's post “Does a fraction have to b...”
Does a fraction have to be an equal? Why can it not be improper or not equal?
(18 votes)
- Kim Seidel
  Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Kim Seidel's post “By definition, the denomi...”
  By definition, the denominator (the bottom number) in a fraction tells you how many equal sized part will create 1 whole unit. For example: 3/4, the 4 tells you that it take 4 equally sized parts to make a whole unit. The 3 in the numerator tells you that you have 3 parts.
  
  If a shape is cut into unequal portions, then you need to know the size of each portion to determine their fraction of the whole. Then, to find one fraction, you would have to add the fractions together to find the total fraction. You can only add fractions of equal size (denominators match), so there is a process you have to go thru to convert the fractions to a common denominator.
  
  Hope this helps.
  Comment on Kim Seidel's post “By definition, the denomi...”
  (11 votes)
leo.lin.2022
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to leo.lin.2022's post “is 1/4 = to 1/8?”
is 1/4 = to 1/8?
Comment on leo.lin.2022's post “is 1/4 = to 1/8?”
(11 votes)
- authentic8
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to authentic8's post “1/8 is actually half of 1...”
  1/8 is actually half of 1/4. Interesting!
  
  That might sound strange because 8 is 2 times 4. But remember we are talking about fractions. If you imagine a pie that has been divided into 4 equal pieces and a pie of the same size that is divided into 8 equal pieces, each piece of the second pie is going to be half the size of the pieces in the first pie.
  
  Think of it another way with only one pie. If you cut the pie into quarters (1/4) so you have 4 equal pieces of pie, and then cut each of those quarter pieces in half, you would have 8 pieces of the pie - each slice is now one eighth (1/8) of the pie. As you cut the quarter (1/4) in half, the eighth (1/8) is half the size of the quarter.
  
  Did that help?
  Comment on authentic8's post “1/8 is actually half of 1...”
  (16 votes)
Agiboygoat
Posted 2 years ago. Direct link to Agiboygoat's post “From 0:01 to 1:35 why did...”
From
0:01
to
1:35
why didn't she use a pizza as the representation.
Comment on Agiboygoat's post “From 0:01 to 1:35 why did...”
(6 votes)
- Natalie Ng
  Posted a year ago. Direct link to Natalie Ng's post “Pizza or pie, they're bot...”
  Pizza or pie, they're both circles. So it doesn't matter which of those we use as a circle representation.
  Comment on Natalie Ng's post “Pizza or pie, they're bot...”
  (2 votes)
Emma Begly
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to Emma Begly's post “Wait - what happened to S...”
Wait - what happened to Sal? 🤯
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Emma Begly's post “Wait - what happened to S...”
(5 votes)
Answer
timurckarate
Posted 14 days ago. Direct link to timurckarate's post “What happened to SAL?”
What happened to SAL?
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(2 votes)
Answer
201119556
Posted a month ago. Direct link to 201119556's post “1/8 is actually half of 1...”
1/8 is actually half of 1/4. Interesting!

That might sound strange because 8 is 2 times 4. But remember we are talking about fractions. If you imagine a pie that has been divided into 4 equal pieces and a pie of the same size that is divided into 8 equal pieces, each piece of the second pie is going to be half the size of the pieces in the first pie.

Think of it another way with only one pie. If you cut the pie into quarters (1/4) so you have 4 equal pieces of pie, and then cut each of those quarter pieces in half, you would have 8 pieces of the pie - each slice is now one eighth (1/8) of the pie. As you cut the quarter (1/4) in half, the eighth (1/8) is half the size of the quarter.
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(1 vote)
Answer
Prashanth
Posted 13 days ago. Direct link to Prashanth's post “Do you know how to get to...”
Do you know how to get to an improper fraction to a mixed number.
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(1 vote)
Answer
ajjcook
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to ajjcook's post “i know fractions but i st...”
i know fractions but i still dint understand they split it into halfs (im in 5th grade) its really hard when it comes to math for me.
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(1 vote)
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LilyW
Posted 5 months ago. Direct link to LilyW's post “um well it is 1/4 but not...”
um well it is 1/4 but not equal share of pie
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(1 vote)
Answer
Sash.h.c.o
Posted 2 months ago. Direct link to Sash.h.c.o's post “Hey Sam do you use fracti...”
Hey Sam do you use fractions onamesuring cup(wait where's sam?)
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(1 vote)
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Video transcript

- [Voiceover] Is each piece equal to 1/4 of the area of the pie? So we have a pie, and it has one, two, three, four pieces. So it does have four pieces. So is one of those pieces equal to 1/4 of the pie? Well let's talk about what we mean when we have a fraction like 1/4. The one in the fraction, the numerator, represents a number of pieces. So here, one piece. One piece of pie. And then the four, when we're talking about fractions is always talking about the number of equal size. Equal size pieces. So in this case four equal size pieces. So the question is, is each piece one of four equal size pieces? Let's look at the pie. I think it's pretty clear that these pieces on the end are not equal, they are smaller than the two pieces in the middle. If you love cherry pie, you are not happy about getting this end piece. Because it is smaller. It is not an equal size piece. So yes, each piece is one out of four pieces. But it is not one of four equal size pieces. Therefore it is not 1/4. So our answer is no. No, no, no. Each piece is not 1/4 or an equal share of the pie.