What is a fraction

What is a fraction?

• The everyday understanding
• A fraction is a part of something;
• a part of an object, for example, a slice of pizza
• The mathematical understanding

What is a fraction?

• The everyday understanding
• A fraction is a part of something;
• a part of an object, for example, a slice of pizza
• The mathematical understanding
• A fraction is a part of a unit of measure;
• a part of a unit of length, for example, a length less than one metre

How are fractions named?

• When something is cut into
• two equal parts
• The name of each of the two equal parts is from the native English word - halve.
• Halve is the verb to cut into two equal parts.
• Half is a noun, the name of each part. So, one of the parts is one half and two of the parts are two halves.
• The name half is derived from language and not mathematics.
• When something is cut into
• more than two equal parts

How are fractions named?

• When something is cut into
• two equal parts
• The name of each of the two equal parts is from the native English word - halve.
• Halve is the verb to cut into two equal parts.
• Half is a noun, the name of each part. So, one of the parts is one half and two of the parts are two halves.
• The name half is derived from language and not mathematics.
• When something is cut into
• more than two equal parts
• There are no verbs for the act of cutting something into three, four, five e.t.c. So how are the names of the parts derived?
• In these cases we do have to refer to mathematics to derive their names.
• The video which follows explains how this is done.
• Close this slide presentation by clicking on the X at top right. Then watch the video.