When measuring, you use fractions to express amounts smaller than a whole unit. This allows for more precise measurements.
Here's a breakdown of how to use fractions effectively while measuring:
- Understand the Units: Identify the main unit of measurement (e.g., inches, feet, meters).
- Recognize the Fractions: Most measuring tools (like rulers and tape measures) are divided into fractional increments. Common fractions include 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and sometimes even smaller, like 1/32.
- Locate the Whole Number: Determine the last whole number reached before the fraction begins. For example, if you're measuring in inches and you're past the 3-inch mark, your measurement is "3 and some fraction."
- Count the Fractional Increments: Count the number of fractional increments after the last whole number. For example, if your tape measure is divided into sixteenths of an inch, and you're three marks past the 3-inch mark, your measurement is 3 and 3/16 inches.
- Simplify the Fraction (if possible): Look to see if you can simplify the fraction. For instance, 4/16 can be simplified to 1/4. Therefore, 3 and 4/16 inches is the same as 3 and 1/4 inches. The video reference explains how counting "3 and 1/16, 3 and 2/16, 3 and 3/16, 3 and 4/16" can be simplified to 3 and 1/4.
- Equivalent Fractions: As mentioned in the video, understanding equivalent fractions is key. Recognizing that 2/4, 4/8, and 8/16 are all equivalent to 1/2 helps in both reading measurements and converting between different scales.
- Example: Imagine you are measuring a piece of wood. The measurement goes past the 5-inch mark. Then you count six 1/8 inch marks beyond the 5 inch mark. The measurement is 5 and 6/8 inches. You can simplify this to 5 and 3/4 inches.
