Introduction to Fractions (Edexcel GCSE Maths) : Revision Note

Introduction to Fractions

What is a fraction?

  • A fraction is part of a whole

  • A fraction is written as a over b where a and b are integers

    • The number on the top, a, is called the numerator

    • The number on the bottom, b, is called the denominator

  • The values of the numerator and denominator tell us about the size of the fraction 

    • The denominator is how many parts the whole is split into 

    • The numerator is how many parts you have

      • For example, 2 over 3 means that the whole is divided into 3 parts and you have 2 of these parts

How do I shade a fraction on a diagram?

  • Divide by the denominator and multiply by the numerator

    • To shade 3 over 5 of a grid of 20 squares

      • Divide 20 squares by 5 to get 4 squares

      • Multiply this amount by 3 to get 12 squares 

      • Shade 12 squares

    • To shade 1 fourth of a circle

      • Divide the circle into four quarters by drawing a horizontal and a vertical line through the centre

      • Shade one of these quarters

Worked Example

Shade 5 over 7 of the grid below.

grid 1

Count the total number of squares in the grid

Total of 21 squares 

Divide 21 by 7

 21 ÷ 7 = 3 

Multiply by 5

3 × 5 = 15 

Shade 15 squares 

grid 2

  It doesn't matter which 15 you shade, but it's neater to group them together

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Naomi C

Author: Naomi C

Expertise: Maths Content Creator

Naomi graduated from Durham University in 2007 with a Masters degree in Civil Engineering. She has taught Mathematics in the UK, Malaysia and Switzerland covering GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level and IB. She particularly enjoys applying Mathematics to real life and endeavours to bring creativity to the content she creates.

Dan Finlay

Reviewer: Dan Finlay

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Dan graduated from the University of Oxford with a First class degree in mathematics. As well as teaching maths for over 8 years, Dan has marked a range of exams for Edexcel, tutored students and taught A Level Accounting. Dan has a keen interest in statistics and probability and their real-life applications.

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