A fraction is a way to represent parts of a whole. When we divide something into equal parts, a fraction tells us how many of those parts we are talking about. For example, if we divide a circle into four equal parts and take one part, we have one-fourth, written as one over four.
Every fraction has two main parts. The top number is called the numerator, which tells us how many parts we have. The bottom number is called the denominator, which tells us how many equal parts the whole is divided into. The line between them is the fraction bar. In three-fifths, 3 is the numerator showing we have 3 parts, and 5 is the denominator showing the whole is divided into 5 equal parts.
There are three main types of fractions. Proper fractions have a numerator smaller than the denominator, like two-thirds, which represents less than one whole. Improper fractions have a numerator equal to or greater than the denominator, like five-thirds, which represents more than one whole. Mixed numbers combine a whole number with a proper fraction, like one and two-thirds, showing one complete whole plus an additional fraction.
Equivalent fractions are fractions that represent the same amount even though they look different. For example, one-half, two-fourths, and three-sixths are all equivalent fractions. When we look at circles divided into different numbers of equal parts, we can see that half of two parts, two out of four parts, and three out of six parts all represent the same portion of the whole circle.
Fractions are used everywhere in our daily lives. When we share a pizza among friends, we use fractions to describe how much each person gets. In telling time, we use fractions like quarter past or half past the hour. With money, we use fractions when talking about quarters and half dollars. Understanding fractions helps us in cooking, shopping, sports, and many other everyday activities.