Category: 01. Fractions

Before studying this lesson about history of fractions, I recommend that you become familiar with Egyptian numeration system. An extensive treatment of fractions appeared around 1600 B.C. in the Rhind Papyrus, which contained the work of Egyptians mathematicians. The Egyptians did not express fractions as ratios such as 2:5 or 2/5. Instead, they expressed ratios in unit…

Rounding fractions with and without a number line is the goal of this math lesson. Example #1 The length of a desk is about 60 5/8 inches. What is the length of the desk to the nearest inch? Solution Look at the fraction part of 60 5/8 and decide if it is closer to 1…

This lesson will show how to estimate fractions when the operation is addition or subtraction. An estimate is important when we do not need an exact answer, but we want the estimate to be as close as possible to the real answer. The first thing you always need to do before estimating fractions is to…

This lesson will provide you with good examples of complex fractions. But what is a complex fraction? Complex fractions are fractions whose numerator, denominator, or both are also fractions. Another way to put it is to say that a complex fraction is a ratio of two fractions. All the fractions above are complex fractions. Complex…

Dividing fractions is not hard. Instead, it is very straightforward once you know how to multiply fractions. It is important to explain some important terms or concepts before showing you how to divide fractions. 2/3 is a simple fraction and in the lesson about fractions, we called 2 the numerator and 3 the denominator. You can also call 2 the…

Multiplying mixed numbers is what you will learn here with some easy to follow examples. A mixed number, also called mixed fraction, is any number that has the following format: 9  34The reason it is called mixed is because it is a mixture of a whole number and a proper fraction. In our example, the…

When multiplying fractions in order to find the product of two or more fractions, you just need to follow these three simple steps basically. Step 1: Multiply the numerators together. The numerators are also called top numbers. Step 2: Multiply the denominators together. The denominators are also called bottom numbers. Step 3: Finally, try to simplify the product if…

Subtracting fractions is easier than you think since it is very similar to adding fractions. Just like adding fractions, you need to keep in mind the following four important rules. How to subtract fractions with like denominators As shown in the figure above, the subtraction of 2/8 from 5/8 is simple. Since the denominator is the…

Adding mixed numbers is the goal of this lesson. We will get you through this with some carefully chosen examples to help you master the topic. A mixed number is any number that has the following format: 4  23Anything that is a combination of a whole number and a proper fraction is a mixed number…

Adding mixed numbers is the goal of this lesson. We will get you through this with some carefully chosen examples to help you master the topic. A mixed number is any number that has the following format: 4  23Anything that is a combination of a whole number and a proper fraction is a mixed number…