Fractions
Fractions
Basics of Fractions
- A fraction is a way of expressing a quantity as a part of a whole.
- It is written as two numbers separated by a slash (/). The number above is the numerator and below is the denominator.
- The numerator represents how many parts we have.
- The denominator shows how many equal parts the whole is divided into.
Simplifying Fractions
- Simplify a fraction by finding the largest number that divides both the numerator and denominator (the greatest common divisor).
- Divide both the numerator and the denominator by this number to get the simplified fraction.
Adding and Subtracting Fractions
- To add or subtract fractions, they must have the same denominator (be common fractions).
- If they do not, find the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators and convert the fractions.
- The resultant fraction should be simplified, if possible.
Multiplying Fractions
- To multiply fractions, multiply the numerators together for the new numerator.
- Then, multiply the denominators together for the new denominator.
- The resultant fraction should be simplified, if possible.
Dividing Fractions
- To divide fractions, multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second (flip the numerator and denominator of the second fraction).
- That is, if you are dividing a/b by c/d, the result is (a/b) * (d/c).
- The resultant fraction should be simplified, if possible.
Decimal to Fraction Conversion
- To convert a decimal to a fraction, identify the place value of the last digit (for example, hundredths place for 0.02).
- Use this to write the decimal as a fraction (0.02 = 2/100).
- Simplify this fraction, if possible.
Fraction to Decimal Conversion
- To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator using long division method.