Fractions of a group: word problems

key notes :

A fraction represents part of a whole. Sometimes the whole is one object. Other times the whole is a group of objects or a set.

Let’s try an example. Look at the set of 5 shapes below.

A row of shapes starting with three circles and then two triangles.

What fraction of the shapes are circles? What fraction of the shapes are triangles? You can write the fractions using 5 as the denominator.

  • 3 out of 5 shapes are circles.
    • 3/5 of the shapes are circles.
  • 2 out of 5 shapes are triangles.
    • 2/5 of the shapes are triangles.
Two rows of seven ice cream cones. In the first row, there are two vanilla cones, a strawberry cone, three chocolate cones, and another vanilla cone. In the second row, there is a vanilla cone, a strawberry cone with sprinkles, a chocolate cone, a vanilla cone, a chocolate cone with sprinkles, a vanilla cone with sprinkles, and a plain vanilla cone.

5 out of 14 scoops, or 5/14, are chocolate.

3 out of 14 scoops, or 3/14, have sprinkles.

Learn with an example

😀 Raj saw 11 crabs in an aquarium. 6 of the crabs were orange. What fraction of the crabs were orange?

6 out of 11 crabs were orange. 6/11 were orange.

😀 There were 3 bugs on a leaf. 1 flew away. What fraction of the bugs flew away?

1 out of 3 bugs flew away. 1/3 flew away.

😀 Geetha went to a party where there were 5 guests. 3 of the guests got a whistle as a party favor. What fraction of the guests got a whistle?

3 out of 5 guests got a whistle. 3/5 got a whistle.

Let’s practice!