What is a fraction?

The two numbers in a fraction

When you cut a pizza into 4 equal slices and take 1 slice, you have taken 1 out of 4 slices. We write that as 1/4.

A fraction has two numbers, one on top and one on the bottom.

The bottom number tells you how many equal parts the whole thing has been cut into.

The top number tells you how many of those parts you are talking about.

So 3/8 means: the whole thing has been cut into 8 equal parts, and you are talking about 3 of them.

Fractions bigger than 1

A fraction can be bigger than 1.

If you have 5 slices from a pizza that was cut into 4 slices, you have more than one whole pizza's worth of slices. We write that as 5/4.

When the top number is bigger than the bottom number, the fraction is bigger than 1.

Mixed numbers

Instead of writing 5/4, you can write it as 1 and 1/4 — one whole pizza, plus one extra slice.

That is called a mixed number. You will see both ways of writing it in FishyFractions.

Equivalent fractions

1/2 and 2/4 mean exactly the same thing. Half a pizza is the same as two quarters of a pizza.

Fractions that mean the same thing but are written differently are called equivalent fractions.

Simplifying

In FishyFractions, the game always asks you to write your answer in its simplest form.

2/4 can be simplified to 1/2. They mean the same thing, but 1/2 is simpler.

The game will remind you if you forget. Head to the Simplifying page to see how that works.