The Lesson

One number can be expressed as a fraction of another number. Imagine there were 5 shapes (3 squares and 2 triangles). To find what fraction of the shapes are squares, you would write 3 out of 5 as a fraction:

How to Express One Number As a Fraction of Another Number

Expressing one number as a fraction of another is easy. Write the first number on top of a fraction, and the second number on the bottom of the fraction.

Question

What is 45 out of 60 as a fraction?

Step-by-Step:

1

Write 45 as the top number (called the numerator) of the fraction.

2

Write 60 as the bottom number (called the denominator) of the fraction.

3

Simplify this fraction if possible. Simplify the fraction by dividing the top and bottom numbers by their greatest common factor (which is 15).

45 ÷ 15 = 3

60 ÷ 15 = 4

Answer:

45 out of 60 is 3⁄4 as a fraction.

Lesson Slides

The slider below shows another real example of expressing one number as a fraction of another number.

What Is a Fraction?

A fraction is a part of a whole number. Fractions consist of a numerator and a denominator. There are three different types of fractions:

What's in a Name?

"Fraction" comes from the Latin "fractus", meaning "broken". The whole is "broken" into parts.