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Identify fourths

A fourth is one of four equal parts of a whole, represented as 14\frac14; the parts may differ in shape or orientation but must have equal area, length, or number of objects when the whole is a set. The understanding includes recognizing that four fourths make one whole and that unequal partitions are not fourths, without extending to fraction operations or more general fraction equivalence.

Detailed Explanation: Identify fourths

A fourth is one of four equal parts of a whole. We write it as 14\frac14.

Example: A rectangle is divided into 4 equal-size parts. One part is shaded.

To decide whether the shaded part is a fourth:

  1. Look at the entire rectangle. This is the whole.
  2. Count the parts: there are 44 parts.
  3. Check that the parts have equal area. They are all the same size.
  4. Since the shaded part is 1 of the 4 equal parts, it is 14\frac14, or one fourth.

All four parts together make one whole:

14+14+14+14=one whole\frac14+\frac14+\frac14+\frac14=\text{one whole}

If the rectangle were divided into 4 parts of different sizes, the parts would not be fourths because fourths must be equal.

Learn by doing: Identify fourths

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    Fractions Fourths - Which Set Makes a Whole

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