Let’s Learn!
What is a non-unit fraction?
Goal:
Goal:
Madelyn is watching the snow fall. What fraction of the window has snow?
Click through the slides below to learn more about the fraction of snow outside this window!
Madelyn’s window is partitioned, or divided, into 4 equal parts. That means 4 is the denominator.
The denominator is the number below the bar in a fraction that tells how many equal parts make up the whole.
There is snow covering parts of the window.
How many parts are covered in snow? 🤔
Click the picture to find out!
2 parts are covered in snow!
Since 2 out of the 4 equal parts have snow, the numerator is 2. This is written as \({ \frac{2}{4} }\).
The numerator is the number above the bar in a fraction that tells how many parts of the whole are shaded. In this example, the numerator shows how many parts of the window are covered with snow.
The fraction \({ \frac{2}{4} }\) can also be written as two fourths. This fraction is a non-unit fraction because it is made of more than one unit fraction.
What if the snow covered the entire window?
All four windows circled and labeled \({ \frac{1}{4}
}\). 4 is the numerator and 4 is the denominator. Four
fourths.
The numerator would be 4 and the denominator would be 4. That is because 4 parts of the window are covered with snow. We show this as \({ \frac{4}{4} }\).
The fraction \({ \frac{4}{4} }\) can also be written as four fourths, or one whole. That is because the whole window is covered with snow!
This rectangle is partitioned into 8 equal parts. Keep clicking the rectangle to watch as the fractions make a whole.