Examples of Fractions

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Fractions and math operations
Fractions in everyday life
Examples of fractions

The fractions are elements of mathematics that represent the proportion between two figures. It is precisely for this reason that the fraction is completely associated with the operation of division, in fact it can be said that a fraction is a division or a quotient between two numbers.

Being a quotient, the fractions can be expressed as its result, that is, a unique number (integer or decimal), so that all of them can be re-expressed as numbers. As well as in the opposite sense: all numbers can be re-expressed as fractions (Whole numbers are conceived as fractions with denominator 1).

The writing of the fractions follows the following pattern: there are two numbers written, one above the other and separated by a hyphen, or separated by a diagonal line, similar to the one written when a percentage (%) is represented. The number above is known as numerator, to the one below like denominator; the latter is the one acts as a divider.

For example, the fraction 5/8 represents 5 divided by 8, so it equals 0.625. If the numerator is greater than the denominator it means that the fraction is greater than the unit, so it can be re-expressed as an integer value plus a fraction smaller than 1 (for example, 50/12 is equal to 48/12 plus 2/12, that is, 4 + 2/12).

In this sense it is easy to see that the same number can be re-expressed by an infinite number of fractions; in the same way that 5/8 will be equal to 10/16, 15/24 and 5000/8000, always equivalent to 0.625. These fractions are called equivalents and always keep a direct proportionality relationship.

In everyday life, fractions are usually expressed with the smallest figures possible, for this purpose, the smallest whole denominator is sought that makes the numerator also whole. In the example of the previous fractions, there is no way to reduce it further, since there is no integer less than 8 that is also a divisor of 5.

Fractions and math operations

Regarding the basic mathematical operations between fractions, it should be noted that for the sum and the subtraction it is necessary that the denominators coincide and, therefore, the least common multiple must be found by means of equivalence (for example, 4/9 + 11/6 is 123/54, since 4/9 is 24/54 and 11 / 6 is 99/54).

For the multiplications and the divisions, the process is somewhat simpler: in the first case, the multiplication between numerators is used over the multiplication between denominators; in the second, a multiplication is performed 'crusade'.

Fractions in everyday life

It must be said that fractions are one of the elements of mathematics that appear most frequently in everyday life. A huge amount of products are sold expressed as fractionsEither kilo, liter, or even arbitrary and historically established units for certain items, such as eggs or invoices, which go per dozen.

So we have 'half a dozen', 'a quarter of a kilo', 'five percent off', 'three percent interest, etc., but all of them involve understanding the idea of a fraction.