Which fractions are greater

Didn't find what you were looking for? Or want to know more information about Math Only Math. Use this Google Search to find what you need. All Rights Reserved. For example, convert 1 6 to a fraction with a denominator of You can also use an equivalent fractions calculator or our equivalent fraction chart to see equivalents for common fractions, which might help shortcut the conversion. Finally, compare the numerators to find which fraction is the largest or smallest.

The fraction with the larger numerator is the larger number. For example, compare 3 18 to 2 18 to see which is largest. Thus, 3 18 is greater than 2 When fractions have the same numerator, compare them by comparing the denominators. If you are getting fewer examples in one category, you can ask students for examples for that category specifically.

As always, when children seem excited for a new challenge, move on. Extension Here are some more fractions, mixed numbers and decimals to classify. Since the numerator and denominator are even numbers , you can divide them by 2 to reduce the fraction. First, we'll divide the numerator by 2.

Next, we'll divide the denominator by 2. If the numerator and denominator can still be divided by 2 , we can continue reducing the fraction. While the numerator is even, the denominator is an odd number , so we can't reduce by dividing by 2.

Instead, we'll need to find a number that 6 and 9 can be divided by. A multiplication table will make that number easy to find. Let's find 6 and 9 on the same row.

As you can see, 6 and 9 can both be divided by 1 and 3. Dividing by 1 won't change these fractions, so we'll use the largest number that 6 and 9 can be divided by.

That's 3. This is called the greatest common divisor , or GCD. You can also call it the greatest common factor , or GCF. So we'll divide the numerator by 3. Then we'll divide the denominator by 3. Not all fractions can be reduced. Some are already as simple as they can be. For that reason, you can't reduce any fraction that has a numerator of 1.

Some fractions that have larger numbers can't be reduced either. If you can't find any common multiples for the numbers in a fraction, chances are it's irreducible. In the previous lesson , you learned about mixed numbers.