1.3 FRACTIONS
A fraction represents a part of a whole. It is a portion of a quantity or object.
For example, consider a circle divided into 8 equal parts:
- The shaded part represents 38 - The unshaded part represents 58
Components of a Fraction
All fractions consist of two components separated by a horizontal bar (fractional bar):
- Numerator: Number of parts being considered. Placed above the fractional bar.
- Denominator: Total number of equal parts the whole is divided into. Placed below the fractional bar.
Example:
38
- 3 → numerator (shaded parts)
- 8 → denominator (total parts)
Applications of Fractions
Fractions are used in everyday life and mathematics in many ways:
- Budgeting: Dividing total income into portions.
- Data presentation: Representing data, especially in pie charts.
- Discount calculations: Calculating amounts payable on discounted products.
- Division and simplification: Understanding proportional division.
- Sharing commodities: Dividing items in a given ratio.
- Formulas: Many formulae use fractions, e.g., DistanceTime = Speed
Key Points
- Denominator: Indicates into how many equal parts the whole has been divided.
- Numerator: Indicates how many parts are selected or considered.
- Fractions are a visual and numeric representation of parts of a whole.