Use knowledge of fractions in their simplest form when solving addition and subtraction problems | Maths

Starter quiz

Select the correct answer. ${6} \over {10}$ − ${3} \over {10}$ = ___
- ${3} \over {10}$ ✓
- 3
- ${9} \over {10}$
- ${3} \over {5}$
Tick the options that could represent the sum: ${4} \over {7}$ + ${5} \over {7}$
- ${9} \over {7}$ ✓
- ${7} \over {9}$
- ${1} \over {7}$
- $1 {{2} \over {14}}$
- $1 {{2} \over {7}}$ ✓
Tick the options that could represent the difference: ${15} \over {3}$ − ${5} \over {3}$
- 10
- ${10} \over {3}$ ✓
- ${10} \over {6}$
- $1 {{2} \over {3}}$
- $3 {{1} \over {3}}$ ✓
Tick the fractions in their simplest form.
- ${4} \over {12}$
- ${12} \over {15}$
- ${1} \over {9}$ ✓
- ${3} \over {7}$ ✓
Tick the correct symbol to compare these fractions. ${4} \over {16}$ ___ ${6} \over {21}$
- < ✓
- >
- =
Order the following fractions from largest to smallest.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  ${4} \over {24}$
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  ${5} \over {25}$
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  ${3} \over {12}$
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  ${6} \over {30}$

Exit quiz

Tick the options that could represent the sum: ${3} \over {12}$ + ${3} \over {12}$
- ${6} \over {24}$
- ${6} \over {12}$ ✓
- ${3} \over {4}$
- ${1} \over {2}$ ✓
Tick the options that could represent the sum: ${9} \over {18}$ − ${6} \over {18}$
- ${3} \over {18}$ ✓
- 3
- ${3} \over {0}$
- ${1} \over {6}$ ✓
- ${2} \over {12}$
Tick the equations that are true.
- ${4} \over {8}$ + ${12} \over {8}$ = ${16} \over {8}$ ✓
- ${4} \over {8}$ + ${12} \over {8}$ = $2 {4} \over {8}$
- ${4} \over {8}$ + ${12} \over {8}$ = ${16} \over {16}$
- ${4} \over {8}$ + ${12} \over {8}$ = $2 {1} \over {8}$
- ${4} \over {8}$ + ${12} \over {8}$ = 2 ✓
Tick the equations that are true.
- ${18} \over {6}$ − ${2} \over {6}$ = 16
- ${18} \over {6}$ − ${2} \over {6}$ = ${16} \over {6}$ ✓
- ${18} \over {6}$ − ${2} \over {6}$ = $2 {8} \over {3}$
- ${18} \over {6}$ − ${2} \over {6}$ = $2 {{2} \over {3}}$
- ${18} \over {6}$ − ${2} \over {6}$ = $2 {{4} \over {6}}$ ✓
Tick the sum in its simplest form. ${9} \over {12}$ + ${7} \over {12}$
- ${16} \over {12}$
- $1 {{2} \over {6}}$
- ${8} \over {12}$
- ${8} \over {6}$
- $1 {{1} \over {3}}$ ✓
Tick the difference in its simplest form. ${24} \over {12}$ − ${6} \over {12}$
- ${18} \over {12}$
- $1 {{6} \over {12}}$
- $1 {{1} \over {6}}$
- $1 {{1} \over {2}}$ ✓
- ${6} \over {4}$

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

You divide the numerator and denominator by the same factor to create the equivalent fraction.
A fraction is in its simplest form when there is no common factor of the numerator and the denominator.
Fractions greater than 1 can be simplified in the same way.

Common misconception

Pupils think that any numerator and denominator can be divided by 2 even when the numerator or denominator is odd.

Highlight to children that although it can sometimes be helpful to think of the magnitude of a fraction when the fraction is simplified with a decimal as the numerator or denominator, fractions can only be written with whole numbers.

Keywords

Common factor - When we compare lists of factors of two or more numbers, common factors are those shared by all the numbers.
Simplify - To simplify a fraction is to identify the highest common factor shared by the numerator and denominator and to scale down both by that factor.
Simplest form - A fraction is in its simplest form when the numerator and denominator cannot be any smaller, while still being whole numbers.