1/2 , 3/5
, 7/8, and 29/101 are examples of proper fractions.
To be a proper
fraction the number on top must be smaller than the number on the
bottom. A fraction is an example of a specific type of ratio, in
which the two numbers are related in a part-to-whole relationship,
rather than as a comparative relation between two separate quantities.
Fractions are used most often when the denominator is relatively
small. It is easier to multiply 32 by 3/16 than to do the same calculation
using the fraction's decimal equivalent (0.1875).
It is also more
accurate to multiply 15 by 1/3, for example, than it is to multiply
15 by a decimal approximation of one third. To change a fraction
to a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator, and round
off to the desired accuracy.
