Question

Olivia says that to compare two positive fractions, the one with the largerdenominator is smaller because it divides the whole into smaller pieces. How do yourespond?

Answer 1

Let us assume that the fractions are 1/2 and 1/5. 1/5 has the larger denominator. By converting them to decimal,

1/2 = 0.5

1/5 = 0.2

We can see that 0.2 is smaller than 0.5. This also means that 1/5 is smaller than 1/2. This is so because for the larger denominator, the numerator is divided into smaller pieces compared to when it is divided by the smaller denominator. Thus, Olivia's reasoning is correct.