Lesson
The size of fractions
You may have already learned about plotting fractions on a number line. We can use number lines to compare our fractions to some benchmark fractions, including $0$0, $\frac{1}{2}$12 and $1$1 .
Remember!
When plotting fractions on a number line we use:
- the denominator to divide the whole numbers into equal parts
- the numerator to select the number of parts.
Worked Examples
QUESTION 1
Is the fraction $\frac{1}{4}$14 closer to $0$0 or $1$1?
$0$0
A$1$1
B
QUESTION 2
Is the fraction $\frac{2}{3}$23 closer to $0$0 or $1$1?
$1$1
A$0$0
B
Harder fractions
When we have fractions that might have larger denominators, or if we can't easily see where a fraction sits on a number line, there are things we can do still. Watch this video to look at how we can estimate using benchmarks with harder fractions.
Worked Examples
Question 3
Is the fraction $\frac{8}{20}$820 closer to $0$0 or $\frac{1}{2}$12?
$\frac{1}{2}$12
A$0$0
B