Compare Fractions: Determine the Correct Symbol Between 1/4 and 5/6

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Choose the appropriate sign

00:03 We want to find a common denominator

00:06 Therefore we'll multiply each fraction by the denominator of the other fraction

00:09 Remember to multiply both numerator and denominator

00:20 Now we'll use the same method for the second fraction

00:23 Remember to multiply both numerator and denominator

00:29 Now we have a common denominator between the fractions

00:34 When denominators are equal, the larger the numerator, the larger the fraction

00:40 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll compare the fractions: $\frac{1}{4}$ and $\frac{5}{6}$ .

Step 1: Determine the least common denominator (LCD) of the fractions' denominators, 4 and 6. The LCM of 4 and 6 is 12.
Step 2: Convert $\frac{1}{4}$ to an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 12:

$\frac{1}{4} = \frac{1 \times 3}{4 \times 3} = \frac{3}{12}$

Step 3: Convert $\frac{5}{6}$ to an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 12:

$\frac{5}{6} = \frac{5 \times 2}{6 \times 2} = \frac{10}{12}$

Since $3$ is less than $10$ , we conclude that $\frac{1}{4}$ is less than $\frac{5}{6}$ .

Thus, the missing sign is $<$ .