Name: What is a Unit Fraction?
Uploaded: 2022-08-24T12:07:32.703Z
Channel: House of Math
Description: An understanding of unit fractions is vital when you’re using the number line to order the value of fractions. Watch this video to learn more. Practice your understanding of unit fractions on the next page.

The ancient Egyptians expressed all fractions by writing them as a sum of unit fractions. This was useful to them when dividing food into equal shares. For example, three-eights (3/8) would be expressed as one-fourth (¼) plus one-eight (1/8). If 3 cakes would be divided equally among 8 people, they would split one cake into 8 pieces and the other two cakes into 4 pieces each.

An understanding of unit fractions is vital when you’re using the number line to order the value of fractions. Watch this video to learn more.

Practice your understanding of unit fractions on the next page.

A part of something. In algebra, the numerator and denominator contain algebraic expressions.

The number at the top of a fraction. It tells you the number of equal parts taken.

The number at the bottom of a fraction. It tells you the total number of equal parts in a whole.

A line with numbers going on forever in both directions from 0.