A fraction represents a part of a whole or a part of a collection. Here we see a circle divided into 4 equal parts, with 3 parts highlighted. This represents the fraction three-fourths, written as 3 over 4.
A fraction has two main parts. The top number is called the numerator, which shows how many parts we have taken. The bottom number is called the denominator, which shows the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into.
Let's look at some fraction examples. One half means we take 1 part out of 2 equal parts. Two thirds means we take 2 parts out of 3 equal parts. Each fraction tells us exactly how much of the whole we are considering.
Fractions can also represent parts of a collection. For example, if we have 8 apples and 3 of them are red, then three-eighths of the apples are red, and five-eighths are not red. The denominator shows the total number of items, and the numerator shows how many items have the specific property we're counting.
To summarize, fractions are a way to express parts of a whole or parts of a collection. The numerator tells us how many parts we have, and the denominator tells us the total number of equal parts. Understanding fractions is fundamental for many mathematical concepts and helps us describe precise amounts in everyday situations.