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Find missing fourths

A whole partitioned into four equal parts consists of four fourths, and each part is one-fourth of the whole. The learner determines how many fourths are missing when some equal parts are shown or identified, understanding that the missing parts complete the whole rather than treating any four pieces as fourths. This supports composing and decomposing wholes and later fraction comparison and operations; it does not include finding fourths of arbitrary quantities or adding unlike fractions.

Detailed Explanation: Find missing fourths

A whole split into 4 equal parts has 4 fourths.

To find the missing fourths:

  1. Count how many fourths are shown.
  2. Start with 4 fourths in the whole.
  3. Count on until you reach 4.

Example:

A rectangle is split into 4 equal parts. One part is missing:

missingshownshownshown\boxed{\phantom{\text{missing}}}\quad \boxed{\text{shown}}\quad \boxed{\text{shown}}\quad \boxed{\text{shown}}

There are 33 fourths shown. The whole needs 44 fourths.

4−3=14 - 3 = 1

So, 1 fourth is missing. The missing part must be one of the equal parts that completes the whole.

Learn by doing: Find missing fourths

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Fractions Fourths - Which Completes the Whole


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