Fair parts, or no name at all
Tear a roti into 3 pieces. One piece is thin. The pieces are not equal.
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The rule
A fraction names one piece of a whole. The whole is the full thing before cutting. It works only for equal parts. Equal parts are exactly the same size.
Step 1 of 4
- A roti torn into 3 parts.
- The parts do not match. No name yet.
- Cut the roti into 3 equal parts instead.
- Now each part is 1/3.
| Equal parts | Each part is called |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1/2, one half |
| 3 | 1/3, one third |
| 4 | 1/4, one quarter |
Example
Three torn pieces are still 3 pieces. They are not thirds, because they do not match.
In the lab, drag the cuts until every part is equal. Then the strip gets a name.