Name: Adelfa Mae G.

Caspe BTLEd – HE1a

Topic: “Fractions”

What are Fractions?

Fraction (noun), fractinal (adjective): from Latin fractus, past participle
of frangere "to break," which is the native English cognate. The Indo-European
root is bhreg-, of the same meaning. Related borrowings from Latin
include fragile (= breakable), diffraction (breaking up into colors) and fragment. A
fraction is literally a piece broken off something. In fact, in 16th century English
mathematics books, fractions were sometimes referred to as broken numbers (S.
Schwartzman, 1994).

According to Van de Walle et. al. (2007), fractional parts are equal shares
or equal-sized portions of a whole or unit. Fractions can be represented as:
a. part of a whole;
b. a place on the number line;
c. an answer to a division calculation; or
d. a way of comparing two sets or measures.

According to Swinson, T. (2019), fractions are a way of conveying a

relationship of numbers. The top part of the fraction is called the numerator; the
bottom part is called the denominator. The numerator is the number of parts
you are interested in and the denominator is the number of all the parts
together. For example, it’s pizza night at your house and you eat two slices of
pizza and your child eats one slice of pizza. Now there are 5 out of 8 slices of
pizza left. We can express that like this: slice of pizza. Now there are 5 out of 8
slices of pizza left. We can express that like this:

A fraction simply tells us how many parts of a whole we have. You can
recognize a fraction by the slash that is written between the two numbers. We
have a top number, the numerator, and a bottom number, the denominator. For
example, 1/2 is a fraction. You can write it with a slanted slash like we have, or
you can write the 1 on top of the 2 with the slash between the two numbers. The
1 is the numerator, and the 2 is the denominator (Yang Alcocer, A. 2019).

What is a Proper Fraction?

For a fraction to be “proper” it must be a part of a whole, meaning it is less
than 1 whole thing (like a pizza or tank of gas) but greater than 0 – or, in other
words, greater than nothing (Swinson, T. 2019).
Proper fractions are those fractions where the numerator is less than the
denominator (Yang Alcocer, A. 2019).
What is an Improper Fraction?
An improper fraction does not follow the proper rules. Well, for what we
are talking about here, we cannot be less than 0, so the only way for a fraction to
be improper is if it is greater than 1 (Swinson, T. 2019).
An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is greater than the
denominator (Yang Alcocer, A. 2019).
This looks like this:

What is a Mixed Number?

A mixed number is any whole number together with a fraction. Mixed
numbers cannot be considered whole numbers because part of the number is a
fraction. To write how much pizza is left as a mixed number, we would write:
(Swinson, T. 2019).

A mixed number is an addition of wholes and a part of a whole. Example

3
1
4
There are one complete whole and three quarters of the second whole (Gugoiu
& Gugoiu, 2006).

How to Add Fractions with Like Denominators

Adding fractions is simple if you start with like denominators.
The denominator is the bottom number, and the numerator is the number on top.
Let’s say you have the following problem:

Since the denominators are the same (6), all you must do is add the
numerators together:

Maybe you bought two pies: a cherry pie and an apple pie. After a few of your
guests have helped themselves to dessert, you find that one pie has 2 slices left
out of the 6 slices you cut and the other has 3 slices out of 6 left. By adding them
together, you know that you have 5 slices left that you can share with others
(Goodwin, J. 2018).
Simplifying Fractions

After adding the fractions together, it’s important to give your answer in
the simplest form. So, you need to make sure that the solution is reduced to the
lowest terms. For example,

Before moving on to the next equation, you need to check your answer and make
sure that it can’t be simplified any further. To do this,
1. Consider the factors of the numerator and denominator.
2. Determine the GCF (Greatest Common Factor). This is the highest number
that divides evenly into both the numerator and denominator.
6 − 1, 2, 3, 6
12 − 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12

For the above example, the GCF is 6.

3. If we divide the numerator and denominator by this number, we end up with
½. This is the lowest term possible for this equation.
It’s important to make sure that the fraction cannot be reduced lower. This is
especially true if you don’t find the GCF, so you should continue to divide the top
and bottom by the same number until you reduce the fraction as much as possible
(Goodwin, J. 2018).

Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions

According to Goodwin, J. (2018), a mixed number is one that contains a
fraction as well as a whole number, such as:

Adding these numbers can be difficult. To simplify the process, first

convert the number to an improper fraction. An improper fraction has a numerator
that is larger than the denominator. Because of this, it’s important to simplify the
fraction after finding the solution since you’ll probably end up with another mixed
number. Check out this equation:
 In this equation, you know that 1 = 4/4. Therefore, 2 = 8/4. Add the fraction
to the converted whole number:

After finding the solution, it’s time to simplify the fraction. In this case, the
final solution is simply the whole number 3.

Adding Fractions with Different Denominators

Knowing the basic principles of adding fractions is important, but
oftentimes equations have fractions with different denominators. When this
happens, what should you do? Before adding fractions together, you need to
have like denominators.
One of the easiest ways to find common denominators is by multiplying
the first denominator by the second denominator and vice versa. When doing
this, it’s important to multiply the numerator and denominator by the same
number so the value doesn’t change. If you’re unsure what this means, take a
look at this example:

Say we start with the following equation:

Since the fractions have different denominators, the first thing that we need to do
is convert the fractions to get common denominators. To do this, look at the
denominators and multiply each by the other denominator. And, multiply the
numerator by the same number as its denominator to keep the value the same:

Once the fractions have the same denominator, add the numerators together:

The final solution is an improper fraction, so you need to convert it to a mixed

number and simplify the solution:
By dividing the numerator and denominator by 2, you can simplify the solution to:

Goodwin, J. (2018).

Guide to fractions in 10 simple facts

According to Berry, B. (2015) in her blog, there are guidelines to fraction
in 10 simple facts.
 FACT ONE
Fraction = number of parts / total parts
Every fraction has a numerator that equals the number of parts we
have and a denominator equaling the total number of parts in a whole.

Just like cake you could have 2 small pieces or 1 piece twice as big and it’s the
same amount. Hence a lot of fractions are equivalent, like 2/5 and 4/10.

4/10 2/5
 FACT TWO
Any Number Can Be Written as a Fraction
Write any whole number over 1 to make it a fraction since the total number
of parts in any undivided whole is one.

 FACT THREE
Multiply Fractions Straight Across
Multiplying fractions is easy, just multiply straight across.
 3 x 7 = 21 and 5 x 8 = 40
Note: Mixed numbers must be turned into improper fractions first, read on for
more about this.
 FACT FOUR
Multiply by Any Form of One Anytime
The number 1 is called the multiplicative identity because we can multiply
it by any number and the number remains the same. This is important for fractions
because often we need to alter the appearance of a fraction without changing its
value.
For example, I can change 1/3 into the equivalent fraction 3/9 by multiplying by
3/3.

Multiplying by 1 in the form of 3/3 turns 1/3 into the equivalent fraction 3/9
 FACT FIVE
Add and Subtract Equal Sized Parts
When adding and subtracting fractions the denominators must be the
same. That makes sense. If we wish to combine or take away parts we must be
talking about the same sized parts, otherwise it would get confusing.
So, what do you do if your fractions do not have the same sizes?

Multiply by a form of one to change the denominators into a common

size. Essentially, we’re dividing the fractions into smaller sized pieces until they’re
the same size. This is called finding a common denominator.
Truthfully, any common denominator will do, but people prefer to find the smallest
one. In this case the smallest number both 7 and 3 go into without a remainder
is 21. So multiply the first fraction by 3/3 and the second by 7/7.

Multiply by forms of 1 to make a common denominator of 21.

If you can’t think of the least common denominator, you can always multiply each
fraction by the opposite denomination. Sometimes, as in this case, that turns out
to be the least common denominator. If it isn’t, just reduce your answer at the
end.
Once the denominators are matching, subtract the numerators to get 8/21.

15–7 = 8

This works as one would expect. Pictorially, begin with 15 pieces of 21 total.

Notice I have 5/7’s replicated 3 times, this directly relates to multiplying 5/7 by
3/3 to obtain 15/21.
Remove the coloring from 7 of the 15 blue blocks.

Which leaves 8/21 as expected.

 FACT SIX
Change Out Mixed Numbers First
A mixed number is the combination of a whole number and a fraction.

Example of a Mixed Number

Mixed numbers don’t play well with other fractions. It’s a good idea to convert
them into improper fractions first.
Note: An improper fraction is a fraction whose numerator is larger than its
denominator therefore having a value greater than one.
fact seven
 Converting a Mixed Number is Really Addition
To convert 2 and 4/5 into an improper fraction add 2 + 4/5.
Step 1: Begin by rewriting 2 as 2/1.
Step 2: Multiply 2/1 by 5/5 to make an equivalent fraction of 10/5 which has the
desired common denominator of 5.

5/5 = 1, the multiplicative identity

Step 3: Add 10/5 + 4/5.

Our result is the equivalent improper fraction 14/5.

To convert back to a mixed number, perform the division. For example, 5 goes
into 14 two times (since 5 x 2 = 10) with 4 pieces left over.

Equivalent fractions in improper form (left) and mixed number form (right)
 FACT EIGHT
Compare Fractions Using the Cross Product
Suppose we wanted to determine which is bigger: 5/12 or 6/13.

Make sure they are not in mixed number form first!

Step one: Multiply a diagonal and write the product above the numerator.

Step two: Multiply the other diagonal and write its product above its numerator.
Step three: Compare the products. The side with the larger product is the larger
fraction. So, in this case, 5/12 is less than 6/13.

Note: the greater than/less than symbol always opens toward the larger value.
We can determine if fractions are equal using cross products too.

The cross product of 3/7 and 12/28 are both 84, therefore 3/7 = 12/28.
 FACT NINE
Cancel Anything That Divides to One
The best thing about fractions is that you can find plenty of opportunities
to cancel. Which makes them quick and easy to manage.
Suppose I have the fraction 8/10. Both 8 and 10 can be rewritten with 2 as a
factor.

Because 2/2 = 1, I can cancel out the 2’s leaving 4/5 as the reduced fraction.

Cross out the 2’s since 2/2 = 1

Utilize this strategy to make multiplying fractions easier as well.

Begin by rewriting each number in factors.

Cancel any number pairs that divide to 1. For instance, 5/5 = 1.

I have another pair of 5’s as well as a pair of 3’s that divide to 1 as well.

Oops! I could have rewritten 6 as 2 x 3 and cancelled a pair of 2’s. It’s okay if you
miss a factor, just keep going until you get them all.

Note: I rewrote 2 as 2 x 1 so that when I cancel out the 2’s I am left with a one in
the numerator.
Had multiplied 15/25 times 10/18 directly it would have been a lot of arithmetic,
using canceling I pre-reduce the fractions and make it simpler to multiply.
 FACT TEN
Use Multiplication to Divide Fractions
The concept of dividing fractions is easy with simple examples such as:

There are two halves in a whole, therefore there are 10 halves in 5 wholes.
But the concept gets tricky with more complicated fractions.

To solve this problem, we’ll utilize two facts:

- We can multiply by any form of one (i.e anything over itself)
- Multiplying by the reciprocal of 3/2, which is 2/3, results in 1 via canceling
Step one: Begin by multiplying by the reciprocal over itself.
Now we have two smaller problems to solve (blue and green).
Step two: Cancel out anything that divides to 1 in the bottom (green) fraction.
This should always result in 1.

Now we are left with the top problem to solve.

Step three: Use canceling to pre-reduce the fraction. After making these
reductions, multiply across to obtain 4/3.

Shortcut
This is the long hand mechanics of “flip and multiply.”
We can skip multiplying by the reciprocal on bottom since it always cancels to 1.
Therefore, all you need to do is multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the
denominator.

Bonus: Theory, in case you’re interested…

Why does the cross-product trick work?
Great question! To generalize, make two fractions using the letters a, b, c, and d
to represent four different numbers.
Multiply both fractions by b•d (this will enable us to cancel out the denominators).

Now cancel the b’s on the left and the d’s on the right since they divide to 1. We
no longer have fractions, just the products d•a and c•b.

Look back at the original fractions. These are the same products as if we had
multiplied the diagonals. Therefore, the shortcut is to compare the cross product.
 References:
Berry, B. (2015). Guide to fractions in 10 simple facts. Medium. Available at:
https://medium.com/i-math/the-no-nonsense-straightforward[Accessed
19 Jun. 2019].
Goodwin, J. (2018). Adding fractions: Everything you need to know – Magoosh
math. Magoosh math. Available at: https://magoosh.com/math/adding-
fractions/ [Accessed 19 Jun. 2019].
Gugoiu, L. and Gugoiu, T. (2006). The book of fraction. La-citadelle.com.
available at: http://www.lacitadelle.com/mathematics/ The book of
fractions.pdf [Accessed 19 Jun. 2019].
Schwartzman, S. (1994). What is fraction? Cut-the-knot.org. Available at:
https://cut-the-knot.org/WhatIs/WhatIsFraction.shtml [Accessed 19 Jun.
2019].
Swinson, T. (2019). All about fractions. Mathgenie.com. Available at:
https://www.mathgenie.com/blog/all-about-fractions [Accessed 19 Jun.
2019].
Yang Alcocer, A. (2019). What is fraction. Study.com. Available at:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-fraction-definition-and-
types.html [Accessed 19 Jun. 2019].
Van de Walle, J, Karp, Karen S, Bay-Williams, Jennifer M (2009). Elementary
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Jun. 2019].