Fractions & Decimals Parts of a Whole Athens State University Dr. Beth McCulloch Vinson Athens State University PT3 Grant Funding, Summer 2000

This is “one whole” square. If we divide it in half we have two pieces. Each piece is “one-half” of the whole.

We write “one whole” like this: 1.0 We write the fraction “one-half” like this: 1 2

Everything on the left-hand side of a number refers to a whole number. So when we write “1.0” we mean “one whole” and “no parts.” 1.0 whole parts of a whole

Everything on the right-hand side of a number refers to parts of a whole. So when we write the fraction “one-half” as a decimal number it looks like this: 0.5 0.5 0.5

is the decimal equivalent of the fraction 0.5 is the decimal equivalent of the fraction 1 2

0.5 means that there are 0 whole numbers and there are 5 parts of a whole number.

1 2 1 2 0.5 0.5 Looking at the box above you can see that 0.5 + 0.5 = 1 or half + half = whole

Let’s do fourths now.

This is “one whole” square. 1.0 This is that same whole square divided into “fourths”. 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4

Fourths are also called quarters. There are 4 quarters in 1 dollar. There are also 4 quarters (fourths) in 1 whole. 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 4

That makes it easy to know the decimal equivalent of fourths. It is: 0.25 0.25 That makes it easy to know the decimal equivalent of fourths. It is: 0.25 0.25 0.25

Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) The End A Project Developed for Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) By Dr. Beth McCulloch Vinson Athens State University, College of Education http://www.athens.edu/vinsobm