Parts of a Fraction
Fractions consist of two numbers that make up parts of a whole. The top number is the numerator, which is how many parts we have of the whole. The bottom number is the denominator, which shows how many equal parts in which the whole can be divided.
Improper Versus Proper Fractions
In a proper fraction, the numerator is smaller than the denominator e.g. ⅗. An improper fraction is the opposite with the numerator larger than the denominator e.g. ⁵⁄₃.
You might be thinking, “Wait a minute! I have never seen an improper fraction used in everyday life.” Well, that is because improper fractions are converted to mixed numbers.
Mixed Numbers
Mixed numbers occur when you have a whole(s) of an item **plus** a fraction of the item as well. Let’s use the previous improper example of ⁵⁄₃ and convert that to a mixed number.
Example: Liesel looks into her biscuit jar and sees ⁵⁄₃ biscuits. How many biscuits are there?
Divide 5 by 3. The number 3 goes into 5 one time with a remainder of 2. The remainder is your new numerator so place that over the denominator of 3. Your answer is Liesel has 1 whole biscuit and ⅔ partial biscuit.