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.