Fraction as division
3/4 means 3 ÷ 4.
The fraction bar can be read as divide.
Year 6
Associate a fraction with division and calculate decimal fraction equivalents for a simple fraction
Link fractions to division and find decimal equivalents for simple fractions.
Lesson overview
Number - fractions, decimals and percentages
A fraction means division. For example, 3/4 means 3 divided by 4. Some common fractions have exact decimal equivalents that are useful to know.
Common equivalents
1/2 = 0.5, 1/4 = 0.25 and 3/4 = 0.75.
| Fraction | Decimal |
|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 |
| 1/4 | 0.25 |
| 3/4 | 0.75 |
Learning common pairs helps later percentage work too.
Worked example
What is the decimal equivalent of 3/4?
| Fraction | Decimal |
|---|---|
| 1/4 | 0.25 |
| 3/4 | 0.75 |
- Know that 1/4 is 0.25.
- Three quarters is three lots of 0.25.
- 0.25 + 0.25 + 0.25 = 0.75.
- So 3/4 = 0.75.
Try it
Think of the fraction as division or use a known common equivalent.
Question 1
1/2 =
Question 2
1/4 =
Question 3
3/4 =
Question 4
Which statement is correct?
Question 5
Which fraction matches 0.5?
Common mistakes
Watch for these when working through the lesson.
- Forgetting that the fraction bar means division.
- Mixing up 1/4 and 3/4 decimals.
- Writing 0.5 as 0.05 by mistake.
Related topics
These ideas fit closely with this lesson.
- Recall and use equivalences between simple fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Use decimal place value accurately.