Determine the Symbol Between Fractions: 1/4 ☐ 5/16

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 the fraction by 4

00:09 Remember to multiply both numerator and denominator

00:20 Now we have a common denominator between the fractions

00:23 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 compare the two fractions, $\frac{1}{4}$ and $\frac{5}{16}$ , by converting them to have a common denominator:

Step 1: Identify the denominators of the two fractions: 4 and 16.
Step 2: Find the least common denominator (LCD). The smallest number both 4 and 16 can divide into is 16.
Step 3: Convert $\frac{1}{4}$ to have a denominator of 16: Multiply both the numerator and the denominator of $\frac{1}{4}$ by 4 to obtain $\frac{4}{16}$ .
Step 4: Now we compare the two fractions: $\frac{4}{16}$ and $\frac{5}{16}$ .
Step 5: Since both fractions have the same denominator, compare the numerators: 4 and 5.

Based on the comparison, 4 is less than 5, which means $\frac{4}{16}$ is less than $\frac{5}{16}$ .

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