Comparing fractions (age 10+) · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Comparing fractions greater than one

Mathematics · Fractions · ages 10-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which fraction is greater, 3/5 or 3/7?

    • 3/5
    • 3/7
    • They are equal

  2. Which fraction is greater, 3/4 or 5/8?

    • 3/4
    • 5/8
    • They are equal

  3. To compare two fractions with different denominators, what should you do first?

    • Look only at the numerators
    • Convert them to a common denominator
    • Add the numerators and denominators

  4. Which fraction shows a value greater than 1?

    • 3/4
    • 7/5
    • 5/6

  5. Which fraction is the greatest: 7/8, 5/6, 4/3, or 1/2?

    • 7/8
    • 5/6
    • 4/3
    • 1/2

  6. On a number line between 1 and 2, which fraction sits closer to 2: 7/5 or 4/3?

    • 7/5
    • 4/3
    • They sit at the same spot

  7. Which fraction is greater, 2/3 or 5/8?

    • 2/3
    • 5/8
    • They are equal

  8. True or false: 7/5 is greater than 4/3.

    Circle one:   True   False

  9. Four fractions go on a number line in this order from left to right: 1/2, 3/4, 5/4, and one more. Which fraction should go last?

    • 7/4
    • 1/4
    • 3/8
    • 5/8

  10. Mia says 11/12 is the smallest of 3/4, 7/8, 5/6, and 11/12 because 11 and 12 look like big numbers. What mistake did she make?

    • She forgot that 11/12 is greater than 1
    • She only looked at the denominators
    • She compared the numbers instead of converting to a common denominator first
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Comparing fractions greater than one W1-mt_PL9VkDwXfh-s1

  1. 3/5 · Both fractions count 3 pieces, but fifths are bigger pieces than sevenths, so 3/5 is greater.
  2. 3/4 · When you give both fractions the same denominator, 3/4 becomes 6/8, and 6/8 is more than 5/8.
  3. Convert them to a common denominator · Different denominators mean different-sized pieces, so you rewrite both fractions with the same denominator before comparing.
  4. 7/5 · In 7/5, the numerator (7) is bigger than the denominator (5), so it is more than one whole.
  5. 4/3 · 4/3 equals 1 1/3, which is bigger than 1, while every other choice is smaller than 1.
  6. 7/5 · 7/5 equals 1.4 and 4/3 is about 1.33, so 7/5 is closer to 2.
  7. 2/3 · Rewriting both with denominator 24 gives 16/24 and 15/24, so 2/3 is greater by a tiny bit.
  8. True · With a common denominator of 15, 7/5 becomes 21/15 and 4/3 becomes 20/15, so 7/5 really is greater.
  9. 7/4 · The last spot is past 1 and after 5/4, so it must be the only choice bigger than 5/4, which is 7/4.
  10. She compared the numbers instead of converting to a common denominator first · With a common denominator of 24, 11/12 becomes 22/24, which is actually the largest of the four fractions, not the smallest.
Worksheet · LightMySky