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How do you introduce fractions in lessons?

Jake Adams
Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist
Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University.

Jake Adams

Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist

Expert Answer

Use pies to represent fractions! Try to get students to understand that the greater the number of slices in that pie (which represents the fraction denominator), the smaller the slice of the pie. For instance, 1/2 is going to be bigger than 1/100, because the 2 on the bottom is smaller. It also helps to show them how to get matching denominators through multiplication on the top and bottom of the fraction.

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Why do I need to compare the denominator of dissimilar fractions?

Donagan

Top Answerer

You don't compare denominators. You convert the dissimilar fractions to equivalent fractions that have identical denominators. Then you compare numerators.

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I'm a student and I want to know the steps to divide decimals. What are the steps on how to use models to write fractions as a decimal?

Community Answer

See the wikiHow article on how to convert fractions to decimals .

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How do I compare unlike fractions?

Community Answer

Change the fractions so they have the same denominator. For instance, if you are comparing 5/7 to 3/4, you would find the least common multiple which would be 28. You can now change 5/7 to 20/28 and 3/4 to 21/28. Since 20/28 is smaller than 21/28 (look at the numerator), 5/7 is smaller than 3/4. You can also use very obvious methods, such as seeing if there is a mixed number. If it is a mixed number, than the fraction with the larger whole number is the greater fraction.

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Which is bigger, 4/5 or 7/8?

I_l1ke_gam3s

Community Answer

The lowest common multiple of 5 and 8 is 40. So those fractions convert to 32/40 and 35/40, respectively. 35/40 is greater, meaning that 7/8 is greater than 4/5.

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Which fraction is bigger: 13/10, 7/9, or 14/5?

Community Answer

There are two ways to approach this: (1) Notice that 14/5 is slightly less than 3; 13/10 is greater than 1; and 7/9 is less than 1. So 14/5 is the largest number. (2) Find the lowest common denominator of those three fractions. The LCD is 90. The fractions convert to 117/90, 70/90 and 252/90 respectively. So14/5 is the largest number.

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