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Find the missing part of a whole

This understanding treats a whole as 1 and determines the fraction that remains or is needed when some equal parts are known, using halves, thirds, or fourths. A shaded shape, bar model, or number line represents the total equal parts and shows how the known and missing fractions compose the whole; for example, 3/43/4 and 1/41/4 make 1. The work is limited to fractions of one whole with these simple denominators, not unlike denominators, improper fractions, or generalized fraction subtraction.

Detailed Explanation: Find the missing part of a whole

A whole is equal to 11. To find the missing part, look at how many equal parts make the whole and count how many parts are already known.

Example: A rectangle is divided into 44 equal parts. 33 parts are shaded. What fraction is not shaded?

  1. The whole rectangle is 44 fourths, or
1=441=\frac{4}{4}
  1. The shaded part is
34\frac{3}{4}
  1. One fourth is left unshaded, so the missing part is
14\frac{1}{4}

Therefore,

34+14=1\frac{3}{4}+\frac{1}{4}=1

The missing part is 14\boxed{\frac{1}{4}}.

Learn by doing: Find the missing part of a whole

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    Fractions Fourths - Which Completes the Whole

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