Compare Fractions: Determine the Missing Sign Between 1/4 and 5/12

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Choose the appropriate sign

00:03 We want to find a common denominator

00:06 Therefore we will multiply the fraction by 3

00:09 Remember to multiply both numerator and denominator

00:17 Now we have a common denominator between the fractions

00:24 When denominators are equal, the larger the numerator, the larger the fraction

00:28 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll use the cross-multiplication method to compare the fractions $\frac{1}{4}$ and $\frac{5}{12}$ .

Step 1: Cross-multiply the fractions.
We multiply the numerator of the first fraction by the denominator of the second, and the numerator of the second fraction by the denominator of the first:
$1 \times 12 = 12$
$5 \times 4 = 20$
Step 2: Compare the results from cross-multiplication.
Now, compare the results: $12$ and $20$ .
Since $12 < 20$ , it follows that $\frac{1}{4} < \frac{5}{12}$ .

Therefore, the correct sign to fill in the blank is $<$ .

The solution to the problem is $\frac{1}{4} < \frac{5}{12}$ .