Skill: Compare halves and fourths

A half means a whole is split into 2 equal parts.
A fourth means a whole is split into 4 equal parts.

Look at the same-sized rectangle:

1. Split one rectangle into 2 equal parts. Each part is a half:

$$\frac{1}{2}$$

2. Split another same-sized rectangle into 4 equal parts. Each part is a fourth:

$$\frac{1}{4}$$

3. Compare one part from each rectangle. A half is larger because the whole was split into fewer parts:

$$\frac{1}{2}>\frac{1}{4}$$

4. Two fourths cover the same amount as one half:

$$\frac{1}{4}+\frac{1}{4}=\frac{2}{4}=\frac{1}{2}$$

So, when the wholes are the same size, one half is larger than one fourth, and two fourths equal one half.