Lesson 2 of 9
What the two numbers mean
Show on a big screenAn over is 6 balls. You have bowled 2 balls. That is 2/6 of the over.
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The rule
A fraction is one number above another, with a line between.
| Part | In 3/8 | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom (denominator) | 8 | The whole is cut into 8 equal parts |
| Top (numerator) | 3 | You took 3 of those parts |
Step 1 of 4
- A ribbon cut into 8 equal parts.
- Bottom number: 8 parts in the whole.
- Top number: 3 parts taken.
- The fraction is 3/8.
For the same whole, a bigger bottom number makes a smaller part. That is because more parts share the same whole.
Example
A 24 cm ribbon: half is 24 ÷ 2 = 12 cm. The cm means centimetres.
A 48 cm ribbon: half is 48 ÷ 2 = 24 cm.
Same fraction, different whole, so a different length.
Try the lab to finish this lesson.