Arithmetic ^[*]

Common Fractions. Common fractions consist of two basic parts, a denominator, or bottom number, and a numerator, or top number. The denominator shows how many parts the whole unit has been divided into. The numerator indicates the number of parts of the whole that are being considered. A fraction having a value of 5/32, means the whole unit has been divided into 32 equal parts and 5 of these parts are considered in the value of the fraction.

The following are the basic facts, rules, and definitions concerning common fractions.

1. A proper fraction is a common fraction having a numerator smaller than its denominator.

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2. An improper fraction is a common fraction having a numerator larger than its denominator

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3. A common fraction having the same numerator and denominator is equal to 1.

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4. A reducible fraction is a common fraction that can be reduced to lower terms.

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5. To reduce a common fraction to lower terms, divide both the numerator and the denominator by the same number.

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6. A fraction may also be converted to higher terms by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same number.

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7. A least common denominator is the smallest denominator value that is evenly divisible by the other denominator values in the problem.

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8. A mixed number is a combination of a whole number and a common fraction.

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9. To convert mixed numbers to improper fractions, multiply the whole number by the...