Comparing Fractions - Examples, Exercises and Solutions

Find a common denominator – by expanding and reducing or by multiplying the denominators. (Remember to multiply both the numerator and the denominator)

Let's check which fraction is larger based on the numerators alone. The fraction with the larger numerator will be larger.

Note- First of all, we will convert whole numbers and mixed numbers to improper fractions, and only then will we find a common denominator.

Comparing fractions with identical numerators and different denominators

If the numerators are identical, the larger fraction is the one with the smaller denominator!

Comparing fractions by comparing them to $1$, $\frac{1}{2}$, and $\frac{1}{3}$

Sometimes, you can compare fractions by comparing them to $1$, $\frac{1}{2}$, and $\frac{1}{3}$.

How do you compare a fraction to $1$?

If the numerator is larger than the denominator, the fraction is greater than $1$.

If the numerator is smaller than the denominator, the fraction is smaller than $1$.

In the same way, you can compare fractions to $\frac{1}{2}$ and $\frac{1}{3}$!

If one fraction is greater than $\frac{1}{2}$ and the other is smaller than $\frac{1}{2}$, you can determine which fraction is larger without calculating.