Idea 2of 22Builds onA unit fraction is one equal piece
A bigger bottom number means a smaller piece
Which piece is smaller, 1/3 or 1/6?
Today you'll discover
- how the bottom number sets the piece's size
- why 1/6 is smaller than 1/3
- how many pieces make one whole
Think firstFour strips, each one whole
Each strip is one whole. Which piece is smaller: 1/3 or 1/6?
Decide first, then press Next. Compare the tinted pieces: all the strips are the same length.
Four strips of the same length, each labelled one whole. They are cut into halves, thirds, quarters and sixths, and the first piece of each is tinted and marked 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 and 1/6; the tinted pieces get shorter going down. At the right: 2, 3, 4 and 6 make 1. The last step shows halves, quarters and eighths.
See the whole ideathe big idea and the key word, in one place
The big idea
The bigger the denominator, the smaller each piece, because more pieces share the whole.
Easy to get wrongDo not read 1/6 as 6. In a fraction the bottom number tells the size of the piece, and a bigger bottom number means a smaller piece.
Key word
- denominator
- the bottom number of a fraction: how many equal pieces make one whole
Ready to use it?
- Say which of two unit fractions is the bigger piece.